


Spaces in Between, love among panels

by rulolarata



Series: Always on the run [1]
Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Runaways (Comics)
Genre: Canon - Comics, Canon Compliant, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-03-31 04:39:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 41,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13967502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rulolarata/pseuds/rulolarata
Summary: Following the canon of the current Runaways comics by Rainbow Rowel and Kris Anka, this fic explores what happens between scenes  and panels in several issues of the comics, specially those with Deanoru potential.Nico and Karolina never stoped loving each other, they just needed an excuse to reunite and rekindle.Of course this will be centered in Nico and Karolina, but all the Runaways will make an appereance.





	1. Life in stand by

Nico Minoru always had a thing for Karolina Dean. Ok, that’s half-truth, maybe not always, but it has been for years now. And how could she not? Karolina is the kindest, smartest most loving and beautiful person she’s ever met. And now, in the privacy of Nico’s bedroom, she has the chance to prove it.

Again, this is only half-truth, Nico’s bedroom is also her living room, and dining room, and kitchen, so not much privacy to be had there, but that’s what happens when you can only afford a running down-piece of crap-one room apartment (by mere luck the bathroom is not in plain view). But that is not important, the only thing that matters now is Karolina.

“- Oh god, Karrie…”

Nico is surprised by her own moaning words, the sheer want and lust in them. 

“-Please…just…please”

Pleading? Really? She wants to say that that’s new, but she knows better.

“-Keep… going”

Nico knows that Karolina is beautiful, that body that is the envy of supermodels, tanned and toned, ridiculously hot. Nico also knows that she sees Karolina for more than just her body, “Of course I do” she thinks, “I love everything about you” Wait, did she just say love? Was it out loud? Screw it she’ll deal with that later. There are more pressing matters right now.

A tug in her nipple brought Nico back to the moment

“-Ow! shit… again… harder” 

Another tug “Ah!” her voice came low and raspy. Now a pinch, it hurts so good, it’s delicious, it’s what she needs. Strange, she doesn’t have her piercings on, did she take them off? She don’t remember.

“- I love you”

Now she said it out loud for sure. She’s not sure if it’s a bad thing or not. It probably is, every time she opened her heart has been for the worst. She doesn’t care.

A hand has a firm grasp on her hip, keeping her in place, restraining her. It’s hot. Soon enough that hand moves, closing on between her legs, then inching closer, closer.

The lumps in her mattress normally would drive her nuts, they have prevented her for a good night sleep far too many times. Now she can’t even tell if there are any lumps to begin with. That kind of things tend to go to unnoticed laid on your back wearing nothing but cover sheets writhing in pleasure.

“- I… ah!.. want… more”

Nico knows what she wants but can’t muster the wherewithal to form words at this point, fuck, how can she say what she wants, what she needs, if she doesn’t have words? How can she…

“-Ah! Fuck! Yes…”

There, long, slender fingers finally enter her. The stretching is not that much but it does the trick, at least partially, there’s still a part of her that needs to be taken care of.

Nico arches her body, pushing her hips upward.

“- Please, more… oh, god”

Seriously, since when Nico started pleading? Or was she always like that? What was she like before? Before what? She doesn’t know, she doesn’t care, damn, she doesn’t know herself.

Ugh, intrusive thoughts, in the worst moment possible.

Those expert fingers begin thrusting inside her. That does it, she’s back. 

“- Put another one in… “

A third finger enter her, stretching her further, the rhythm speeds up.

Now we’re talking. That familiar pressure begins to pool in her lower stomach. She’s wet, oh so wet, and the sensation is overwhelming. She knows what must come next.

“I need to… yes!... there… just rub it”

There’s a thumb rubbing at her clit now, not too hard and not directly, it’s just right, just how she likes it, precisely how she likes it.

She’s close.

“- Oh my god! I love you!”

There it is again, the “I love you” stuff. Maybe it should worry her how easy is becoming just blurt out I love you at random moments. Maybe she needs to protect her heart a little more. Realistically though it’s not her heart anymore, she gave it away a long time ago. Nico does not regret it.

Another set of fingers pinch at her nipple, hard, enough to hurt, Nico doesn’t mind, she welcomes it. She craves it, the pain, the pleasure, all of it.

“- Ahhh! That hurt!... no… don’t stop!”

She’s used to pain, every superhero is of course, but in her case, it goes somewhat beyond. Summoning The Staff of One requires blood, and with blood usually comes pain. So yes, she’s used to it, maybe more nowadays.

It’s not like people know that about her, some things are not meant to be known by anyone, not even by…

“- Karrie! Fuck!... 

She’s so close.

“- Just, damn it! Karrie!...

She wants to say it again, with her name this time. She’s so very close.

“- Karrie! … I just… Karrie!

Her clit is swollen by now, she needs release and quick, fuck, she’s gonna be sore tomorrow. Another tug at her nipples, another thrust inside her, another rub, frantic movements and ragged breaths, she’s there, she just needs to say it.

“-Fucking god Karrie!!! I love you!!!”

Again.

“I love you Karrie!!!, I love you so fucking much…

She can’t complete that sentence, she cum hard, she can’t speak, she can’t breathe, she can’t think, all she can do is feel, so she does. She rides her orgasm with as much dignity as she can. 

Nico collapses in her bed, exhausted. Karolina’s name still in her lips, her smile still in mind. Body and feelings raw.

“- Fuck, just, fuck me” 

How long has she been doing this? Getting off to Karolina, that’s relatively new. She can pin point the first time. It was a lonely afternoon, one of many, a couple of months ago when she came back from another shitty job to spend the rest of her shitty day at home. The problem was, there was nothing to do. She wasn’t hungry, her laundry was already done, the apartment spotless, or as spotless as that place can be. Nico just sat there, in her bed, the only real furniture in the apartment, checked her phone, of course there was nothing, no missed calls, no texts, she has no one, nothing to do, no one to spend time with.

She was just there, not doing anything. Looking for some comfort in any way, her hand traveled down her pants, just a little endorphin to get her through the day and maybe help her sleep. But as much as she tried, nothing, her body didn’t respond, her mind was blocked. 

She saw the old photo of when they were still together, still alive, still them. And saw her, her Karolina. Nico fantasized about how Karolina would feel, and how soft her skin always was, what kind of sounds Karrie would make if Nico kissed her in that spot in the crook of her neck that was so tantalizing, her lights, how warm to the touch she is...

It didn’t take much, she was already half way through it, it was amazing. But wrong. Karolina wasn’t hers, she had no right. Nico swore that was the last time. One month later was in the shower, fuck the water bill, pretending Karolina was there planting kisses on wet skin. This was the last time, for real now.

It wasn’t long before Karolina became a weekly fantasy, then every third day… Now it was daily. Nico needed her that much.

“- Shit Karrie, I’m sorry-” She’s not sure what to be sorry about, just that she is. Guilt is one hell of an emotion. It’s not like Nico is hurting somebody, it’s all in her head, it may be painful, excruciating even, but Karolina isn’t here with her, Karolina doesn’t know, but maybe… maybe Nico could…

She needs to get dressed.

Finally, Nico sits up, her body aching, there’s a wet spot on the bed near her thighs, Nico looks down and sees the mess she made, oh well, she needed to do laundry anyway so the sheets get peeled away. She climbs off the bed with a grunt, taking a moment to clear her head, now she’s hungry. It’s never a good idea to cook naked so she washes herself and then dons a pair of fresh underwear and her nightgown. The image of Karolina is fresh in her mind. 

How Karolina would be doing these days? Nico hasn’t seen her since she came back from… doesn’t matter, just that is a while. She misses her so much but Karrie must be doing fine without her, more than fine, in college of course, she was always brilliant and Nico is sure that environment suits her perfectly. She must be surrounded by people who cares for her and love her, surely she’s the favorite of many teachers who encourage her to be amazing, and has lots of friends because how can you not love Karolina and, of course, there is her girlfriend.

Will Karrie still be together with… what was her name? Janey? Julia? That Power Pack kid. What is she thinking? It’s obvious they’re still together! Jane or whatever needs to have brain dead level of stupidity to let Karrie walk away from her life, what kind of dumbass would do that? Other than Nico that is. Most likely they are married by now or engaged or something. Nico feels her heart stopping at that thought. Ok, fine perhaps she’s exaggerating with the marriage stuff but…

“- Oh, fucking hell-” She stares at her laptop, it’s turned on for no reason, Nico could look Karolina up, by traditional means nothing creepy like using The Staff of One for that, not that she has consider it before. Karrie must have a very active social life, it should be easy to find her Instagram or something, just to see her, just to know once and for all if she’s married, yes, she´s still caught up in that. At the very least there would be pictures, Nico could see her again, maybe there’s vacation pictures, on the beach or… 

“- No way, screw that! – Nico is not a creep, she is low right now no doubt, but she’s above stalking.

Anyway, wasn’t she hungry?

Nico walks to the kitchen, such as it is, and looks in the pantry, there’s not much beside some raw ramen. “- I guess a trip to the grocery store is overdue”

Perhaps she should go see Karolina, they’re still friends, right? Maybe they would reconnect and Nico could visit her sometimes and spend time together. 

“- Oh, What's the point?” Because, what is Nico expecting? That Karolina welcomes her with open arms and a kiss and then they confess their undying love for each other? Well yes, she desperately wants that but it’s unrealistic and the truth is she’s terrified, she can deal with loath or a bit of excitement, but what if Karolina is indifferent? That Nico can’t take.

And still, maybe she will visit her, she just needs an excuse or a signal from the universe or magic or something to gather some will and courage. For now, there’s ramen to cook.

\---

So, this was it for the first chapter. Chronologically this is set minutes before the first pages of the first issue of the new Runaways comic, so I don't spoil you the fun in this one. Be warned, since I'll be following canon there will be spoilers later on.

This was more bleak than I intended but then again, the firs issue of the Runaways comics is kind of bleak too, I operate under the assumption that my poor baby Nico is lonely and kind of depressed, I hope I transmitted this to you in this chapter. Don't worry, following chapters will vary their tone, some are more chipper others are fluffy as fudge. Next chapter is our turn to see what Karolina's life is like. Spoiler alert: She misses the Runaways, especially the cute goth one.

What you guys think? Let me know in the comments. By the way this wasn't beta'd we publish like (cave)men


	2. Moving on while stuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karolina is happy, she has everything she needs, she doesn't want anything else but a surprise visit reminds her that what she needs and what she wants are two different things.

Karolina Dean has it all. A place to live, a full scholarship, a roommate she likes, a therapist that cares, the best girlfriend in the world, a future. There’s nothing else Karolina would want in life. But you know how these things really are, it’s all an overstatement, of course Karolina would like a few extra things in her life.

An apartment. She really could use another place to live. Not that she's in any rush to leave her dorm but it's wise to start planning on what she'll do after college, also, there's Julie, her awesome girlfriend lives in the other side of the country and maybe they need to have a talk on where they're going to live .

One of the handles of her shower get stuck sometimes, a new shower set would be wonderful. Another thing she wants. She has enough clothes but a new bag for school would be appreciated.

So, you see, it’s only material things, almost menial things that she wants, nothing that pressing or important. She has all that truly matters. Karolina is happy.

She’s in her dorm room, hunched over her laptop, nursing a mug of coffee that is already cold struggling with a midterm paper, she hears the door open.

“-Steph! You’re early, everything alright?” Karolina says glancing at her roommate.

“- Yeah, just here to pick up some things” Steph said while going through her drawer. “-Also, could we move our movie night next week? My sister brought some friends from out of town and I promised to take them on the I-swear-I’m-not-a-tourist tour”

The fact that Steph had promised to finally have a movie night a week ago was not lost on Karolina.

“-Yeah, sure, no problem” Karolina said keeping her eyes glued to the screen trying not to sound disappointed. She was looking for a nice evening with a friend and now it seemed that another lonely night was awaiting her.

Her disappointment must have been evident because Steph walked beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder said “- Hey, I’m really sorry, I know we had movie night, but I hadn’t talked to my sister for months and she asked me today to change my plans”

Karolina sighed mentally, Steph was right, her sister had been overseas and she know how much Steph has missed her.

“- I understand” Karolina turned in her seat to face Steph. “- I really do, and before you suggest it, no, I won’t go with you, you need to spend time with her, in fact you should ditch her friends too” She said only half-jokingly.

Steph laughed, it sounded not the least convincing “-You’re the best Karo. Hey, you can still enjoy the evening, you could call Julie, you know? I will be very late, say the word and I won’t come back until tomorrow” she said grinning to Karolina.

Now was Karolina’s turn to laugh even less convincing “-It would be nice but Julie has work” That’s true, and Julie works crazy hours, saving the world/city/whatever is a rewarding full-time job but it keeps messing with their time together.

“- Oh, I’m sorry, well, why don’t you invite some friends over and next time I’ll make it up to you?”

At that Karolina almost choke, almost. “- Yeah, I’ll do that, have fun with your sister”

“- Thanks, I will” With that Steph was out of the dorm leaving Karolina in a mood.

“- Friends, sure” Her tone was humorless. There’s another item to add to the list of things Karolina want.

She was the last Runaway to, well, run away, when it was just her and Chase it just didn’t seem worth it anymore. No, scratch that, her therapist always tells her that she needs to be honest to herself. Karolina drifted away from the Runaways way before that. When the reason she was involved in that mess in the first place didn’t returned to her.

Nico.

“- You’re doing it again Karolina” She mutters.

She misses her friends, all of them. Chase and Molly and Victor (oh Victor, she needs to make that right) and Old Lace, but is different with Nico, not because she’s in love with her or anything, because she’s not, Karolina has the best girlfriend in the world, it’s just that Nico is special and she left so suddenly and Karolina didn’t have the chance to say goodbye. It’s all about closure, nothing more.

Steph is right, with the room all to herself Karolina could have one of her special skype sessions with Julie, one that can use complete privacy. God knows they need more time together. Maybe Julie can spare an hour or two?, it’s not impossible for wrap things up early, it has happened before, Julie used to surprise her all the time like that. On missions Julie can’t answer calls, but can read texts when given the chance.

Karolina grabs her phone and starts typing.

“Hey babe, I have the room all for myself, maybe you could bail earlier, keep me company? <3”

Immediately there were three dots appearing on the screen. That’s weird, Julie always takes a little while to respond.

“Hey! I would love to keep you company! Mission’s over (we won! We are awesome) but I draw the short straw, clean up duty for me, I’ll make it up for you, promise! ; )”

Great. Another weekend alone. And another promise for “make it up to you”, that makes two in less than an hour, new record.

“I’ll hold you up to it!! xoxo”

With that the conversation ended, brief and full of promises, all the interactions with her girlfriend were like that lately, and to be fair, skype sex was becoming a little boring, what Karolina craved was more, lets say, physical contact, all right, she wanted sex, the kind you can only have with another willing and enthusiastic person and where she doesn't use her vibrator, or rather, use her vibrator on someone else than herself. "-Fuckinh shit!" It's a rare thing to hear Karolina swearing, but she's beyond frustrated at this point. What to do now?

Karolina could go back to her paper, which she has completely forgotten, or clean the room for the hundredth time or watch a movie or catch up on some series, but the one thing she cannot do is go with her friends because she has none.

Shocking, that a girl that looks like Karolina has no friends, one would have thought that people would throw themselves at her feet trying to befriend her or romance her, but the truth is, aside from her time with Julie, her roommate and Dr. Mendez, her therapist, she doesn’t get to socialize much.

She tried, many times, it’s one of her assignments. Dr. Mendez reminds her constantly that “Friends are important, a social life helps us as human beings, it’s not healthy to isolate ourselves Karolina” Well, she’s not even human so, shows her what she knows. But every time she tried she came across a little too awkward, a little too guarded. All Karolina ended with, if she was lucky, were promises to keep in touch. All of this because what she really wants is her family back, no, not her parents, her real family, the group of people that went with her through thick and thin, she knows is pointless because not all of them are alive and those who are, well, they drifted apart, as lame as it sounds. 

Karolina wonders, for the hundredth time again, if she should have accepted Wolverine’s offer, a place in the Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngsters. The argument was very compelling, a school full of extraordinary people, mutants, inhumans, aliens, and even some regular humans, in which she could thrive.

Julie encouraged her that time “The X-Men and Generation X were like a second family” she said. Karolina should know, she met her girlfriend while fighting them. Good times!

She could not do it. Alright, yes, it probably was the best idea, go to school somewhere full of people like her. At the very least she could just take her suppressor bracelet off. You know what they call a human rainbow flying around in the Jean Grey School grounds? A slow Tuesday.

The problem was Karolina wanted to be a normal girl going to a normal college. She wanted to leave all that behind, the superhero and superpower stuff, all the pain and recurring nightmares and guilt and death and yes, the heart ache. Because, you guessed it! Nico. She couldn’t just be surrounded by people that reminded Karolina of her, of what could have been.

Seems that everything always comes back to Nico.

“-Dammit, just stop it!” Karolina hisses.

Karolina gives in, goes to her laptop and googles the same search she’s been doing the past two months. Just two simple words. “Runaways team”.

There are just two pics of them (they did a good job keeping a low profile) and only one where Karolina can see her. Actually, is the only way how Karolina can see her.

In case you were wondering, yes, Karolina googled Nico before, but only once (once a week, more or less, for like a month) and just to check that Nico was fine. But she didn’t find anything, no Instagram, no twitter, nothing, and her heart missed a beat, or twenty. What happened to Nico? Was she ok? Was she in trouble? Was she in the country? Was she even alive?

Karolina spiraled quickly and ended calling Julie asking her to run a search in The Avengers database. Julie found her, no problem, Nico was fine and still living in L.A. Julie even offered to send an address and a phone number. Karolina declined, it was enough to know that Nico was okay. Still, a picture would have been nice.

So, she stares at the Runaways pic, it’s an old one, from back when everyone was still alive, well, anyone that didn’t betray them anyway.

Karolina wonders what would’ve happened if the rest of the team if they stayed together.

Chase would be in college of course, maybe in post grad by now, that man is smart, he deserves a future. Molly is what now? Fourteen? That would put her in middle school, surely, she would be in every sports team available and knowing her everyone would love her. Victor would have pretty much ended the same way because he always wanted to be a hero. But Karolina can’t guess what Nico would be doing. Well, of course she can, she knows Nico would also be an Avenger, honoring the title “earth mightiest heroes” being a force to be reckoned with. It’s just that she doesn’t like to think about it. Speaking of which, she needs to do something else. Enough self pity!

Karolina stands from her desk, stretches and takes a deep breath clearing her mind (therapy exercises work!) walks to the windows and open the curtains, sunshine makes her feel better.

“-All will be well” She heard that somewhere in her intergalactic travels. It stuck and now she uses it as a mantra whenever her mind gets clouded, another little thing that works like a charm.

What she needs right now is music! And lights! And be herself. Karolina is out to her roommate, in more ways than one, so she takes her bracelet off.

Immediately, light, her light, fills the entire room, bright with hues of every color of the rainbow. Fitting. It feels like a week of stress washes off from her. Now, music!

Karolina reaches for a pair of headphones and her phone, opens a music app and hits the shuffle option, “Lucy in the sky” begins to play. She smiles, that’s her song, seems like her day starts coming together. It’s the little things.

She begins to dance, carefree and content, the dark thoughts that plagued her mere moments ago vanishing. They might not be together anymore but her old friends will be okay, each one of them with their own life. She remembers she has everything she needs, and what she doesn’t have right now it will come, it will take time and work but it will come, she goes to therapy, she can make new friends, and start going out more and whatever bump she has in her relationship with Julie they can work it out, together, she can heal.

Karolina smiles, she’s feeling weightless, she’s flying, literally flying now.

A knock on the door grounds her.

She takes off her headphones and clasp back her bracelet grabbing her cold coffee on the way to the door. She freezes when she opens it.  
Right there is Gert. Looking exactly as the night she died. But now she’s alive, smiling at her and standing in the hallway of her dorm.

This cannot be. They tried to bring Gert back before. Chase tried, a lot, and failed. Gert is gone for good, isn’t she?

“-Gert…” Is all Karolina can say.

If any other person was in the same situation as Karolina they would have noticed the almost seven feet blue striped genetically engineered Deinonychus that accompanied Gert. But Karolina doesn’t even register her, she looks for someone in particular, because if Gert is here and Old Lace is here and, she assumes, Chase is here that means… Karolina’s eyes dart towards the familiar face she so desperately wanted to see. The owner of that face is in the back of the group, adverting her own eyes looking like she’s embarrassed and so, so beautiful.

“-Nico…” Karolina’s heart breaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! And I promise this is the last one that has that gloomy tone, sorry about that, I needed to establish character and couldn't avoid a couple of chapters like this, in the upcoming chapters is where the real fun begins.
> 
> We got to see our favorite sunshine! What do you guys think? Personally I think Karolina misses Nico like crazy but, understandably so, she guards herself so much.
> 
> Next chapter we will see them interact more, and I will start adding a little to the comics canon. By the way I know there are a couple of inconsistencies with the X-Men and all (i.e. Wolverine being dead) But I liked the idea of good old Logan leading the school so much that I had to add it to this story, also, we don't know the name of Karolina's roommate or her background so I just made one up.


	3. The sides of the coin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The recently reunited Runaways, Nico, Chase, Gert and Old Lace are on their way to Karolina's but they're not sure what to expect.
> 
> Karolina is stunned to find the two persons she least expected to see are at her door and (kind of) deals with her internal turmoils.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed I made changes to chapter 2 in light of the new issue of Runaways, for example, Karolina does have a car and ample income, a few more tweaks here and there, nothing mayor.
> 
> This chapter is structured in 3 parts, Nico POV is in the first and third, while Karolina's is in the second.

The friggin van is the slowest vehicle ever created in the history of the universe, Nico is sure of it, and of course, it has to be the only vehicle available to Chase. She’s lowkey freaking out, no surprise considering the events of the past couple of hours, bringing Gert back, explain to her the long list of Nico's failures, facing the fact that Victor is dead, then figuring out that maybe he isn’t. It's a lot to take in. They’ve been on the road for almost an hour now, and Pomona, Karolina’s college, is supposedly less than an hour away. So yeah, the van is far too slow and is only freaking her even further. Is either that or Nico’s ongoing anxiety over visiting Karolina for the first time ever.

“- Could you stop tapping your foot like that?” Chase says. There’s no response. “- Nico!”

“- What?” Nico finally answers looking at Chase in the driving seat.

“- Your foot, you’re taping it like crazy and it’s making me crazy”

“- Oh, sorry” Nico stops with the taping for like two minutes.

“- Okay, the tension in here is killing me, again” Gert says from the back of the van, her humor rubs Nico in all the wrong ways. Chase looks even less amused. “-How do you know where Karolina lives?”

That’s an excellent question Nico thinks, she herself didn’t know, so, how is that Chase know? … If it wasn’t for the fact that Karolina is a living avatar of lesbian love Nico would be jealous. Well, not jealous because Karolina isn’t hers to be jealous, but the notion of Karolina and Chase… now she feels nauseated and it’s only slightly related to the poor hygiene of Chase’s van.

“- Yeah Chase, how do you know where she lives?” Nico tries not come across like she’s bursting in jealousy and must’ve failed miserably because Chase looks like he wants to stop the vehicle and make a run for the woods.

 

“- I helped her move when we parted ways, we exchanged numbers, it’s not like we’re complete strangers, you know?”

 

“- Right, right, you are all good friends, sure, how many times did you call or visited her again?” Gert asks him, with as much sarcasm as she can muster.

 

“- Lay off him Gert, it’s complicated” Nico feels like she needs to excuse both hers and Chase’s actions towards the rest of the team or lack there off.

 

“- You keep saying that, I swear I just don’t get it” Gert seems to be more in disbelief about the Runaways breaking up than to be alive and, from her point of view, the future.  “- I still think I came to a parallel universe where we don’t care about each other” That hurts.

 

Nico looks at Chase, expecting him to say something. He just looks abashed, so it’s up to Nico. “- We care about each other Gert, really, maybe life got in the way before, but we’ll make things better, we’re going to Karolina’s and Molly’s, and we’re gonna bring Victor back, right Chase?” Nico places a hand on Chase’s shoulder, she knows how to make him respond. “-Right” Chase answers.

That seems to placate Gert, so Nico goes back to staring at the window, they’re finally nearing Pomona. It’s a perfect sunny L.A. morning but Nico is shivering nervously, no one comments on it.

 

“ _I’m gonna see Karrie_ ” That’s the only thought in Nico’s head for the past hour. “ _Oh god, I’m gonna see Karrie!_ ” Now she’s really thinking about it.

 

First comes the excitement. “- _Karrie… I’m gonna see where she lives! And talk to her, god I wanna hug her so bad, she was always such a hugger_ ”

 

The comes less appropriate thoughts.  “- _How would she look now? She’s still gorgeous that’s for sure, she was always so soft, what would she be wearing when we get there? Umph, hopefully something with a midriff, man those abs_ ”

 

Now come even less appropriate thoughts. “- _Would her room have a private bathroom? Is that a thing? What if we catch her stepping out of the shower or something? … oh, god, please let me catch her stepping out of the shower…  you’re being a creep Nico, stop that shit right now… wait, what if she’s with her girlfriend? what if they’re having sex_? Nico must be really touch starved because not even the bitter jealousy she feels over the thought of someone else touching her Karolina can diminish the heat she’s feeling between her legs. Or maybe it’s the effect Karolina has on her. Or maybe she’s just horny, who knows?

 

Nico begins to play an ample repertoire of fantasies in her head, it’s kind of wrong but there’s nothing else to do, the silence in the van is overwhelming and according with Chase it’s still a little while to Karolina’s if L.A. traffic permits it.

 

There’s a little stain on her pants, it’s small, right above her left knee, you’ll need to look very hard to know it’s there. “ _I wore dirty clothes…”_ Have you ever had a single thought that spirals you down to a complete freak out? Because poor Nico is spiraling right now.

 

“ _The first time I’m visiting Karrie and I had to wear dirty clothes”_ Then she looks more closely at her outfit.  “ _Oh god, did I wash this top? Was it always grey? I should’ve wear a more fitting one, and just look at my shoes, I look like a slacker! Have I used a spell for changing outfits yet? I need a blade or something._ Nico catches a glimpse of her reflection in the rearview mirror. “ _I’m wearing too much make up, what was I thinking? Just look at my eyes… Wait, that isn’t eye liner, those are eye bags! Dammit I need more makeup._

She needs to calm down and she’s about to ask Chase to stop the van. Luckily for Nico’s mental state they have arrived at Pomona College.

 

-

 

“- Hi, I’m not dead” Gert greets her.

 

Karolina doesn’t know what to do. Gert shouldn’t be alive, I mean It’s great that she is but she’s dead, obviously not dead right now but…

 

“- Can we come in?” That’s Nico. Nico is talking to her. And she dropped her mug now she should clean up. But Nico asked her something, she needs to say something. Now!

 

“ _I love you” “-_ Sure, come on in” She didn’t blurt I love you out loud didn’t she? Of course not, because everyone is entering her room like nothing has happened.

 

Gert and Chase sit in her bed. Finally, she notices Old Lace, good lord! She almost forgot how intimidating she is, huge and powerfully built, sharp claws in open view and with those red eyes that seems to alert everyone to back off, you should be wary of a creature like this, instead Old Lace curls up in the floor, head resting in her bed, she looks adorable. Karolina grabs a chair and seat in front of them

 

Apart from the rest is Nico, she positions herself in front of the window leaning herself on the wall arms crossed.  For five full seconds Karolina cannot peel her eyes from her. Then, she notices Gert is talking, she needs to pay attention.

 

Twenty six seconds later Karolina has a full grasp on what happened. Chase went back in time and brought Gert to the present so Nico could fix her. She’s so proud of them, of Chase for being so determined and of Nico because Karolina always thought that if Nico would’ve been there she would’ve saved Gert, now she know for sure, Nico is so powerful and amazing.

 

Gert finishes talking and now Karolina knows why they’re here: The want to reunite the Runaways. But why? For what? The have nothing to run away from anymore, they’re not in danger (at least, in no more danger than the average ex-superhero/mutant/intergalactic war criminal) Why would she drop everything in her life to be un the run again?

 

Things ended badly, Gert bolts out of the room with Old Lace, and Chase go after them, leaving Karolina and Nico alone.

 

Were this a couple years back Karolina would’ve relished on the opportunity to be left alone with Nico. Now, it’s different.

 

Karolina takes a good look at Nico, she doesn’t mean to stare but that can’t be helped. She looks fine, more than fine, “ _She’s so gorgeous”_ Karolina thinks to herself. Nico has aged with a dignity few can match. She still rocks that goth look but now is more stylized a little softer but still with an edge that would make anyone turn their head towards her. The new piercings, the uneven haircut and those turquoise highlights frame her beautiful face perfectly. There is something else that Karolina can’t quite place yet, Nico has always been guarded but…

 

The second Nico locks ayes with her, Karolina notices it. There’s an unfamiliar weariness in her gaze, a calculated coldness, like Nico is expecting danger coming her way at any moment and is already thinking a way to fight back. She looks even closer at Nico; no amount of makeup can mask the heavy eyebags or the shallowness of her skin, not even the best put together outfit can disguise how her left arm limps and lingers a little too long at her side, like she’s not used to having it. Karolina knows why, Murderworld. She’s not a violent person, she avoided fighting at all whenever she had the chance. But if she ever catches the monster that hurt Nico and Chase…

 

Karolina wants to wrap her arms around Nico, tell her that everything will be alright and never let go, she settles on saying “- I can’t just drop out of school” It sounds all kinds of wrong in Karolina’s ears, her own words. It’s the lamest excuse to not reunite “-I know” She hears Nico response and she can barely hide her disappointment.

 

Karolina goes on why she can’t go with them, all perfectly valid arguments, all of them falling flat in her mind. The worst part is Nico agrees with her. But that’s normal, that is what’s expected, that’s the sensible thing to do.

 

Nico, or any friend for that matter, would never tell her to drop everything in her life to go on the run again. It’s a preposterous notion, there’s no logic to it, it would throw down the window everything she worked so hard to accomplish. She’s dying to run away, for Nico giver an excuse, any excuse, to do so.

 

“-We were a bunch of scared kids who didn’t have anyone else” Karolina wants to convince herself so badly that the Runaways were nothing more than a group of random kids united by terrible circumstances.  And they were, but adversity makes strong bonds, like a family.

 

“-And you’ve moved on from that?” Nico asks her. “ _No” “-_ I have” Karolina responds.  Like most things in her life, moving on from the Runaways was complicated. She has moved from running away sure enough, but she hasn’t moved from them, nor does she want to.

 

“- I’m still so scared, Karrie. And I still have no one” How many times can your heart break in a single conversation? Karolina thinks she must hold the record now because she aches to reach for Nico, tell her that she’s wrong, that she’ll always have her. And now she’s panicking. Why is she thinking like this? Didn’t she have the most amazing girlfriend in the world? Isn’t Julie enough?  Wasn’t she, mere minutes ago, wanting to see her girlfriend and looking for the day she can visit? Maybe she’s a horrible person that always go after what she can’t have and, being honest, shouldn’t event want. She’ll deal with that later.

 

“ _I’ll do anything to you, no, for you, damn it!” “-_ I can’t go with you” Karolina says and she means it. “- I know” Nico answers, again. “I’m happy where I am” Karolina really is, but it doesn’t mean she can be happier. “I know” And with that Nico is out of the room.

 

Karolina is desperate to go after Nico, tell her she has but to ask and Karolina will go to hell and back with her, she wants to grab her and lead her back to the room close the door and throw her in bed kiss her senseless strip her down and make love to her until Nico can only say Karolina’s name between gasps and forgets what being lonely feels like. Instead, Karolina hugs her pillow.

 

-

 

“ _She won’t come”_ That’s for the better. Better for Karolina. She doesn’t need Nico or Gert or Chase interrupting her life.

 

“ _It’s for her own good”_ Karrie is so well adjusted, she’s doing amazing, college does suit her, and she’s so beautiful, Nico is not sure how, but Karolina looks even better than the last time she saw her. It must be an alien thing because no human on the planet can be that stunning.

 

“ _She is happy where she is, she told you so”_ Of all the things that went awry, the worst one, by far, was the pictures. Karrie looked so full of life and happy with her girlfriend, yes, she’s jealous, she can’t help it. There was a time when Nico had the chance to be the girl in that pictures making Karolina happy and that chance is gone forever, if there was a spell for time travel… or maybe recharge the time machine that is conveniently stranded in her apartment... But no, Nico would never do something so twisted and she doesn’t have any right to ask Karrie to join them in whatever dumb shit they’re about to do. She wanted to but that’s never going to happen.

 

Nico is in love with Karolina, she loves Karolina, if there was any doubt in her mind it vanished the moment she saw her again. The least Nico could do is let Karrie live her life in peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for chapter 3! Finally some dialogue! I much prefer work with dialogue. Originally, this was opening chapter of the story but never stuck in my mind, I'm happy that the first chapter ended to be the one where Nico rubs one out, I think it has more punch.
> 
> In this one, I tried to draw a sort of parallel between Nico and Karolina's feelings for each other, while Nico's part begins with a more physical/sexual approach it ends with a confirmation of love and caring. On the other hand, Karolina's feelings at first were expressed in terms of protectiveness and tenderness, at the end she lets loose and dares herself to think of Nico in a way she always wanted, of raw lustful sexuality. I hope I transmitted that right.
> 
> Also, I'm adding another space between paragraphs and dialogues, I think it looks cleaner somehow, you guys like that? or prefer the single space?
> 
> Anyway, next chapter will be fluffy and kind of smutty. It will also be deliberately deviated from canon in one major way, but I promise, it will be good.
> 
> How do you guys like this fic so far? Let me know in the comments, and thank you for reading.


	4. Nonverbal communication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karolina wants to spend the day with her girlfriend but something won't let her.
> 
> And Nico receives an unexpected visit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, this chapter is a little more smutty that I originally planed. Like the one before, this chapter is divided in three scenes, one with Karolina, one with Nico and one with both of them together!

“- Mmhmm, like that…ah!, yes” If you could see at Karolina Dean right now, first, you would be a complete perv, and second, you would think she’s either a virgin or that she hates sex. “- Just kiss me… no, the… neck…”

 

But she doesn’t hate sex, she loves sex.  She may have grown up a little repressed but since Karolina figured out she liked girls she made up for the lost time.

 

It’s been a week since the incident with Nico, and Karolina has thought about it the whole time. This morning, life did her a solid because Julie surprised her with a quick visit in compensation for the last time cancelation “-Perks of being friends with the Avengers” she told Karolina “- One nice permit for supersonic flying!” Being a minor, the FAA had banned Julie of flying on supersonic levels every other day to see Karolina because of the continuous sonic booms. “But it’s valid for one day so I have to go today”

 

The day started great, going out for lunch and spending the day at the beach. By afternoon there was only one thing in Karolina’s mind. Julie looked beautiful, and all the touching and kissing in the past hours lit a fire within her so she suggested going to the nearest motel as quickly as possible.

 

God, did Karolina missed Julie! It’s been a long year for both and living in the opposite sites of the country hadn’t been easy. With only sporadic visits from one another it’s difficult to keep a rapport.  She read about it, the challenges of long distance relationships, she knows is critical to keep an ongoing and honest communication and the absence of physical interaction is due to be taxing on some people (Karolina hates euphemisms, just say sex damnit!)

 

Right now, Karolina couldn’t care less. Their little motel getaway, like their entire day, started splendidly. the Ocean View Motel wasn’t much but it was perfect for their purposes, the room was modest but clean and secluded enough in the far end of the hallway.

 

Clothes were discarded, bodies pressed against each other, Karolina was eager for more. She was laying on her back legs wrap around her girlfriend, the first kisses and caresses were electric, and that’s no exaggeration, Julie’s latent propulsion powers have a curios effect on Karolina’s alien physiology.

 

From then on, things just got difficult.

 

For the past half hour Karolina was hell bent on enjoy herself but might as she try she could not. Suddenly, it all felt wrong somehow, the pacing was off, she felt Julie trying to help, but her kisses were a little too demanding at times or to tame at others; her touches were tentative and sweet at first, now Karolina thought her girlfriend was fumbling, failing to find a sweet spot in her body.  

 

“- Wait, babe” At this Julie stopped, looking with concern at Karolina’s eyes. “-What’s wrong? Did I… “She trailed off expecting things to end but Karolina flashed a reassuring simile “You mind if I top?” Now Julie smirked, knowing how her girlfriend liked to top her “- Not at all” She said and rolled herself back switching positions completely, now her legs were around Karolina’s waist.

 

Feeling in control Karolina leaned in and kissed Julie fiercely while her hands traveled over an amazing set of abs, god! Julie was hot. She wanted to touch more, a lot more, so she did, but Julie was not reacting like she expected. She felt self-conscious and clumsy and was beginning to spiral down. So much for being on top. “-Babe, you’re overthinking it” Julie reassured her this time and pulled her closer “- Don’t think, let me take care of you”.

 

Karolina didn’t know what was wrong with her, it had to be her, Julie was clearly into it but for whatever reason Karolina wasn’t. Something in the back of her mind was nagging incessantly about how this was all wrong. She did try not to think about it like Julie said but she couldn’t help it. Her week had been rough, going back and forward if she should call her friends, The Runaways, or not, especially … She was lost in thought when a hot, wet feeling in her neck brought her back to reality.

 

Julie planted sweet long kisses in her neck, whispering all kind of salacious and exquisite things she was going to do to her, things Karolina wanted to do to other person. That seemed to work, she began day dreaming with certain goth girl and almost immediately felt her own body react, particularly between her legs.

 

Julie felt her girlfriend react too, she bit in her neck and dug her fingernails in Karolina’s back.

 

Karolina was getting into it, but with the mental image of the wrong girl, she wasn’t seeing the brown silky locks or the tanned skin of Julie Power, instead, all she saw was short black hair with turquoise highlights and pale skin.

 

“-Oh god …” Karolina’s breathing was speeding up. “- Like that… ah!...” More kisses and not so delicate bites to her neck and collarbone. She grabbed Julie and rolled again to her back, Julie took the hint, she kissed Karolina with more determination this time, one hand cupping one of her breasts while the other was traveling down her body teasingly slow.

 

Karolina couldn’t wait, she angled her pelvis and rubbed herself against Julie’s thigh. “-Don’t tease, please…just… “ Julie complied, her hand went for Karolina’s entrance. “Oh god! More!” Karolina all but demanded. “-N.. Ni..” She felt pressure building up between her legs.

 

“-N..” “ _Nico”_ No, that’s wrong, she shouldn’t be thinking about her. “ _Nico”_ Nico is not here, Julie is here, Julie is the one she loves. “-Ni..N!...” “ _Nico!”_ Karolina needs to stop this. “ _Nico!”_ But she doesn’t want to.  “ _Nico!_ ” She wants to indulge in this fantasy, pretend someone else is touching her. “ _Nico!”_ What’s the harm anyway? Is not like Julie would know. “ _Nico!_ ” No! It’s not fair! To Julie or to her. “ _Nico!”_   Nico doesn’t need her, doesn’t want her! “-Ni..Ni!” She’s just gasping now, she’s so close. “-That’s it baby, that’s it, just cum” Julie is talking to her, Julie… Karolina doesn’t want Julie, Fuck! Fuck! She wants… “ _NICO! NICO!_ _NICO!”_ “Ni!.. N… No!... No, no… Stop!... Julie, stop.

 

Julie stops. “-Babe! What is it?! Are you okay?!” She looks at Karolina full of concern “Shit, K, I’m so sorry! did I hurt you?” Karolina is breathing heavily, exhausted and full of guilt, still, she smiles at her girlfriend. “- I’m fine, it’s okay” Is she? “- I’m sorry, I just need…” “ _Nico”_ “- I just need a breather, my head is all over the place, sorry”

 

Julie lays herself beside Karolina and props in one elbow to look at her. “-Babe, what is it?” Karolina is debating on what to tell to her girlfriend. Julie gives her space she doesn’t mean to pry but obviously something’s off. She tries again “-Is it me?” God no, it’s definitely not her “No, Julie, it’s not you, it’s… well” Karolina responds not knowing how to put it.

 

“- Look, babe” Julie says, “- I know it’s been a while, I know I haven’t been around much, and maybe I got a little rusty or you like it some other way, but you can talk to me” Karolina is speechless, she was about to cum! Of course  Julie is not the problem and she’s blaming herself! “- No! It’s not that, I swear, it’s just…” She has to come clean, she owes Julie that much “- It’s been a crazy week” Way to come clean Karolina! Just avoid the issue altogether! “- Things happened that I never thought they would…” That’s better.

 

“- I get it” Julie has a visible pained expression “- Why you’re all worked up” Shit, shit! Julie knows, she figured it out! How? Do Julie has psychic abilities? That must be it! She read Karolina’s mind and now she knows … It’s all over, all because Karolina couldn’t keep it in her metaphorical mental pants.  “- It’s your friends, right? Now that they’re back?” “ _No” ”-_ Yeah,  it’s just so weird and so sudden but I haven’t reached out to them yet and… but today is about us and I missed you so much and I’m ruining it” What’s weird is that Karolina is telling the absolute truth, she does think that, there’s more of course, about who else, Nico, but is all basically truth. “-K, honey, it’s alright, we can do this any other time” The smirk in Julies face was contagious. “- But I really think you should go see them”

 

Julie is right, Karolina should go see her friends… her family. “- Yeah, I should” An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. “-But” she said “- Chase is likely with Gert and no way in hell I’m gonna interrupt them and I don’t want to just step on Molly’s now that she has a family of her own” Nice excuse Karolina “- I wanted to call Nico but I don’t even have her number or anything”

 

“- Mhmm, Nico” Julie said “- Wasn’t she an Avenger? Maybe her info is still in the Avengers database, I could get it for you” Damn it all to hell, Julie was the best girlfriend in the world. “- You would!?” Karolina was actually exited. “- Of course, babe” Julie answered.

 

Julie hoped off the bed looking for her clothes. “You know, I don’t’ have to get back just yet, maybe we could catch a movie? It’s been ages since we done that” A movie sounded nice “- My treat!” Karolina went to her girlfriend and kissed her in the cheek.

 

-

 

Nico was a failure. She knows it. Everybody knows it. She was the leader of her own team and blew it, later on, she was an Avenger, she blew it, then she was part of an amazing all girl superhero team, she blew it, now, she had a second chance to regain her family, and you guessed it! She blew it.

 

So, to recap, she saved Gert two years too late, kudos for that, right? Well, it was a short lived victory, now Gert felt lost and was resentful, who can blame her when you’re ripped away from everything you know because your teammates were too incompetent to save you properly in time?

 

That was it, Gert preferred stay with Molly and her grandma, Chase went back to his cave, Victor is... dead? Whatever, he’s not functional and Karrie would not come with them. So much for reuniting the team.

 

Do you want to know the worst part? That was a week ago. Nico returned to her apartment, time machine still in her bed, and she just continued existing. She didn’t try again. Maybe they weren’t together, but Nico didn’t try to keep in touch, no call to Chase, no visit to Molly and Gert, not a single thing. It’s not like she’s the busiest person in the world, she has no job, no other friends, no boyfriend or girlfriend, Nico had the time. On the other hand, no one tried to visit her or called her either, so that’s that.

 

Right now, she’s laying down on the floor, idly playing with the Staff of One, she refuses to let that thing reenter her body for as long as she can, and hears someone knocking on her door. That’s new.

 

When Nico opens the door, she knows that at some point in the past days she died.

 

Karolina is in front of her. This would never happen in real life, first because Karolina doesn’t know where she lives, and second because, why would she visit? Karolina was happy where she was, she said so herself. So, the only logical explanation for Karrie being here is that Nico is dead, heaven is real and somehow, she was granted access to it.

 

Nico is about to throw herself at this version of Karolina, her personal heaven, welcoming oblivion with open arms when the mirage in front of her speaks. “- Hi” Wait, that sounded like Karolina, Nico can smell her perfume, and she feels the ache in her back from sleeping on the floor for too long, she hears the noises of the city, car honking, dogs barking… this is real. “ _Holly shit this is real! Karrie is here! She came! Snap out of Minoru, do something, invite her in, say something cool!”_ “- Karolina, how did you know where I live?” “ _And that’s why you’re single Minoru, you suck at this”_

 

“-Umm, you’re still in the Avengers database, Julie looked you up for me” Karolina says. Of course, this is reality, in Nico’s version of heaven Karolina would be single, or better yet, with Nico. “ _Time to put your mask on Minoru, answer her, all smiles and courtesy” “_ \- Right, Julie. Your girlfriend” Nico says humorlessly borderline aggressive “ _So, I don’t have a future in acting, good to know._

“Nico? Is it okay that I dropped by?” Nico might not be much, all things considered, but no way she’s going to start being rude to Karolina. “-Yeah, sure, come on in” She allows Karolina to step in in her apartment feeling really self-conscious about her living conditions. In contrast to Karolina’s expansive two person dorm room, Nico’s is small with barely enough space for one person,  while Karolina has an entire wall of windows that allow natural light to enter, Nico’s apartment only has one window that never gest sunlight directly, the harshest contrast and the one Nico is more ashamed of is that she doesn’t have any pictures or personal objects in display. She remembers Karolina has framed photos with her girlfriend and a couple other people, good friends more likely, posters and banners plastered on her walls.  Nico has none of that. Her walls are bare, all of her two photos are still in their boxes along with the majority of Nico’s possessions.

 

“- I’ve been thinking about what you said, about getting back together… where’s everybody else?”  Karolina sits in the bed, or rather, the part of the bed not blocked by a stranded time machine. So Karolina has thought about that… and it was up to Nico to tell her that, once again, she failed… great.

 

“- Rumors of our reunion have been greatly exaggerated. We fell apart, Gert’s with Molly now, Chase went back to his cave. I’m… here.”  That about sums it up, no need for further details. Nico sits at Karrie’s side.

 

“- Oh” That’s all Karolina says, looking defeated.

 

“ _Do something, you dipshit! She’s right there!_ Nico doesn’t know what to do, she desperately wants to give Karolina some comfort, she could say something reassuring, something that could give her hope, that maybe, if the two of them tried together, they could have a family again. No even Nico believes that.  Nico doesn’t have words to comfort Karolina, all she can give is herself, she does the most idiotic thing.

 

Nico closes her eyes and leans for a kiss, her initial plan, if that’s what you want to call it, was going for broke and kiss Karrie, but Nico is not like that, she’s not some dude, she doesn’t steal kisses or do some other misogynistic abusive shit. So she stops, waiting for Karrie to come to her.

 

Nico doesn’t want to open her eyes, fool as she is, what was she expecting? For Karrie to kiss her? She has a girlfriend! She would never do that even she liked Nico, which she doesn’t. She’s paralyzed. “ _Fuck! I fucked it all up, again._ She forces herself to open her eyes. Karrie is looking at her.

 

Nico is about to mutter some apology, maybe playing it with a humorous excuse, she didn’t’ have the time. In Nico’s fantasies her first kiss with Karrie is always sweet, slow, a little tentative and lasted forever. She only is partially right. Karolina is kissing her and yes, is sweet, the sweetest kiss Nico ever had or will have, but it only lasted for like two seconds, Karrie pulls away from her and she’s staring right into Nico.

 

Nico can’t peel her ayes from Karolina’s, in them she finds something that she has never seen in Karolina before, hunger, desire, lust, there’s something else, something she doesn’t dare to name in fear of scaring it away, perhaps she’s deluding herself and is just wishful thinking, perhaps…  it was love.

 

-

 

Karolina’s brain shortcircuits whenever she’s close to Nico Minoru.  She can’t help it, she can’t think straight (not that she ever had) All she can register is Nico, and when said girl leaned for a kiss Karolina couldn’t move away, she really should’ve, she has a girlfriend, the best girlfriend in the world.

 

The thing is, kissing Nico is something she always have dreamed about but Karolina will never ever get to do because Nico is straight. Or was straight. Nico stops midway to her lips, clearly giving Karrie the choice of kissing her or reject her. Karolina closes the distance.

 

For the span of two seconds she got to kiss her first crush, her first love, her Nico, sweet and tenderly like Karolina always, secretly, wanted to. It was a perfect kiss but too brief. Karolina pulled away, running a thousand scenarios in her mind in which she could get closure with this, finally ending things with Nico for good. She finds none, Karolina would die before letting this kiss with Nico be her last.

 

“ _Fuck it”_ That was the last semi-rational thought Karolina had, she attacked Nico’s lips again, this time with a force and want she didn’t’ know she had. “ _I want you”_ Karolina half expected that Nico could read her thoughts “ _I want you here, right now!”_ By god Nico was responding in kind. “ _I want more”_ Karolina gets up from her spot on the bed taking care to keep kissing Nico “ _Take me now! Now!”_  She throws one leg over Nico effectively straddling her, Karolina’s hands go after Nico’s cheeks to keep her in place, now is not the time to be timid. ” _Touch me”_ She needs more, Karolina slides her tongue inside Nico’s mouth, just a little, seeking entrance, Nico takes the hint and allows it, “ _Nico!”_ Nico’s hands are on her hips holding her tightly “ _Harder!”_ The fucking time machine occupies all the bed, Karolina glances at the floor for a second, it looks clean enough, it wouldn’t be crazy to ravage Nico there, she just needs to rip her clothes away.

 

A loud bang makes them jump away.

 

“- Put your shoes on ladies!” Chase… Karolina never wanted to blast someone so much before.

 

“- What the fuck, Chase!!” Nico yells at him, they were so close! The dismember head looking at them in front of Chase backpack catches Karolina’s eye “- Victor?” Alright, this will require some explanation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That wraps up chapter four! 
> 
> I'm having a blast writing this fic, hopefully you're having fun reading it. I hope you didn't mind the kind of dark humor when Nico was in her apartment, I know I can go a little too dark sometimes.
> 
> Also, If you noticed that Karolina repeats herself while having sex with Julie, that was completely on porpoise, I promise it will make sense later.
> 
> By the way, I'm not a fan of making either Julie or Karolina a cheater just for Karrie to be with Nico, and again, I promise this will not be the case it just seems that way.
> 
> Anyway, next chapter will be a little calmer and will deal with the consequences of Nico and Karolina's decisions.


	5. Day talk, night talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Runaways face their first battle after being reunited, against an elderly citizen and a bunch of cats...
> 
> In the aftermath Nico and Karolina will seek advice on what to do with their feelings of each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating time! I want to thank every single one of you, for all your hits and bookmarks and kudos and comments, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading my silly stuff. You're the best.
> 
> Now, this chapter happens at the end of issue 6 and before issue 7 of the current run, according to Rowell there's a week between those issues and I thought it could be explored further.

“- This ends now!”

 

People should be more scared of the Runaways, that is what Karolina Dean thinks, they are a very powerful, three of them have the potential to be a threat to humanity. She traveled across the galaxy once and learned so many new abilities, she can manipulate light at will! Do you have any idea how overpowered that is? And then you have Molly, a mutant so strong she can give Hulk a run for his money, maybe her thirteen year old physique can only stand that much effort for short periods of time but a few minutes with that strength is all you need to ruin anyone’s day, and in ten or fifteen years when she reaches her physical peak? Molly would be unstoppable. Lastly there’s Nico, a powerful wizard under normal circumstances, but when pushed to her limits Nico displays a level of power and mastery over it that, when it happened, the entire magical community felt it and put her in Doctor Strange’s watch list, and he will never admit this to anyone but he dreads the possibility of facing Nico Minoru in battle. Throw Old Lace, an apex predator, in the mix and the Runaways are a force to be reckoned with.

 

So, yeah, fighting an evil grandma and her pack of evil psychic cats shouldn´t be a problem for them, but this fight was proving to be a lot more difficult. Molly, being the absolute sweetheart that she is, would never allow her grandma to be hurt, nor her cats for that matter, and then, out of the blue, a clone of Molly’s mom, Dr. Hayes own daughter (Jesus Christ, how fucked up these villains can be) joined in.

 

The cats were dealt with thanks to Nico, leaving evil grandma and clone-mom’s psychic blasts in the fight, Karolina tried to outmaneuver them, waiting for an opening to knock out the clone and subdue Dr. Hayes without too much damage, she was a senior citizen after all and Karolina’s parents were evil beyond belief but they raised her right, kind of, sort of, not really, but Karolina was still a good person and she wasn’t going to start shooting light rays at old people.

 

Her good intentions went down the drain when a psychic blast landed on Nico.

 

Karolina was seeing red. There was a lingering feeling of guilt in her, one that told her constantly she let Nico and Chase down, that she was instrumental, in fact essential, in them being hurt.  She swore that no one would hurt her family ever again. They would pay with their lives for this.

 

Karolina was priming, two blasts from the clone were fired at her but were deflected effortlessly, she was about to reduce her two opponents to ashes. Chase must have caught on her intentions because he grabbed Nico and rushed to door. That was enough to bring Karolina back to her senses, she couldn’t stop her oncoming blast but she redistributed it, only a fraction of it went towards Molly’s grandma and the clone, the force of it was more than enough to knock out Dr. Hayes tough it was probably a bit too hard, and sent the other smashing to the wall. The problem was the rest of her power, Karolina released it around her in concussion form, trying to preserve as much of Molly’s room as she could. Days later she will read the Avengers Taskforce’s report on her little stunt and find out she caused structural damage to the entire house, overcharged the electrical grid of four blocks around, broke three drain pipes and knocked over the neighbor’s compost bin. Woops.

 

Karolina went down to the backyard where the rest of her family was siting, Victor Mancha included, well, he wasn’t sitting due to his lack of legs, or body, but you get the point. Nico was awake, she looked shaken, little scratches all over her arms and legs but other than that unharmed, all of Karolina’s family looked okay. Thank god.

 

Nico smiles softly, scooches over and pats the grass beside her. Karolina is more than happy to comply, she needs Nico as close as possible.

 

No one is saying anything, they all feel so defeated. Nico is desperate for some contact with Karrie, she moves her hand closer to hers. It’s ridiculous she’s hesitating on holding her hand, a couple hours ago Karrie’s tongue was insider her mouth, still, Nico is fidgeting, unsure if she should do it so she glances at Karolina seeking permission, Karrie just smiles and, guessing what Nico wanted, holds her hand. Immediately all the weariness and sadness washes away from both girls.

 

A comfortable drowsiness is taking over Nico she just wants to lay down in the grass with Karrie and cuddle, not the most appropriate thought to be having at the moment but it’s a lot tamer than the ones she was having earlier that day.

 

It’s time to decide what to do now. Nico propose give Molly’s grandma to the Avengers, no one have a better idea. “- I could call Julie…” Karrie tells them and Nico’s temper flares “- We don’t need your girlfriend’s help. I was an Avenger, you know, ish” That came a lot more aggressive than she intended, she didn’t mean to, but why the hell Karrie reminded her about her girlfriend? What’s the deal with their make out session in her apartment? Is she just playing with her? Nico lets go of her hand.

 

A soft meow breaks the uncomfortable silence of the group. Apparently one cat survived the Dinopocalypse. Molly rushes to him and asks if they can keep it. Nico recognize it, it’s the black one with the moon shaped patch. No force on earth can convince Nico to keep the cat, he’s an evil telepath created by an evil scientist for evil porpoises, at this, Karolina grabs Nico’s hand again and gives her a little smile, that’s not fair. The damn cat stays.

 

“- Let’s go home” Karolina says. Nico thinks that’s silly, here, holding Karrie’s hand and leaning against her shoulder, she is home already.

 

-

 

It’s been five days since the fight with Dr. Hayes and the Runaways are reunited. With the exception of Karolina, they all moved to the Hostel, the underground manor once owned by The Pride and now in possession of Chase Stein.  Karolina still lives at her dorm room but spends a lot of time with her family, she’s been at the Hostel almost every day, either to just hang out or to help them getting settled.

 

“We need to talk” Nico told Karolina one evening and they agreed it would be best to do it as soon as possible, but neither of them have yet made an effort to reach out. Karolina is nowhere near ready to have that conversation, so she avoids being alone with Nico.  If there ever was a moment when Karolina didn’t know what to do it was now, sure, they kissed, and it was wonderful, but was Nico serious? Was she willing to have a full fledge relationship and not just some temporal fling to explore her feelings? Furthermore, there was the issue with Nico’s sexuality, Karolina knows she has no right to ask, but, was Nico bi? Was she a lesbian? Or, and this filled Karolina with anxiety, was she only experimenting?  

 

Then there was Julie Power, her girlfriend which she has a very serious relationship with, one where she doesn’t have to ask what ifs and everything is out in the open. But they’re in a rough patch right now, their goals seem to be at odds sometimes and rarely have time for each other, Julie tries, she really does, and she loves her and Karolina loves her back, and all that counts for nothing because no matter how you see it, Karolina cheated on Julie. She had kissed Nico, and if it weren’t for Chase’s interruption, she’s sure she would have fuck her right then and there. She knows she needs to come clean and be decisive, does she want Nico? does she want Julie? Or neither, god, she hates this young adult novel bullshit.

 

At the moment Karolina is in the waiting room of her therapist, she really needs her session and if there’s a therapist that understands this kind of stuff is Dr. Mendez. Tandy Bowen, Dagger, recommended to Karolina this Doctor Rosalind Mendez a while back (The Runaways were Cloak and Dagger’s targets, it’s a long story), she’s been helping all kind of metahumans deal with mental health problems for years and is a booming business since not many professionals openly work with superheroes, is like having Iceman doing your taxes, which Karolina does because Bobby Drake is honest to a fault, his fee is surprisingly accessible and members of the LGBT+ community should  stick together.

 

The receptionist finally ushers Karolina into the office. As usual, the room is inviting, the huge windows let enough sunlight to put her at ease, she needs sunlight as much as sleep or food, Karolina is happy for that, it’s easier to bare her heart when she’s fueled by the sun.

 

“- Hello Karolina, good to see you, please, take a seat” Dr. Mendez has the demeanor of a middle age woman that spent half her life building a successful career, dignified but approachable, friendly but not obsequious, and with the keen intellect to match, with her complete attention on Karolina she knows immediately something is off.

 

After a couple minutes exchanging pleasantries Karolina goes right to what’s been eating her. “- So… I cheated on Julie” Even a professional like Dr. Mendez looks surprised at that. “- What happened?” She limits to ask.  Karolina had a prepared rant about this, she forgets it as soon as she starts talking “- Well, you see, we’re back, uh, I mean my family and I, the, umm, the Runaways that is, everyone is back, and Gert and Victor… they’re alive and,”

 

“Gert and Victor, your friends who died came back to life” Dr. Mendez interrupts her.

 

Karolina nods “- Yeah, Victor wasn’t really dead just on standing by mode and Chase went back in time to save Gert” Now it was Dr. Mendez turn to nod “- Okay, so nothing too unusual” she says.

 

Karolina continues trying to focus this time “- So, we’re all together again, and that’s great, I’ve missed them so much but they wanted to go with them and I has to turned them down, I have my classes and my life and all, so I couldn’t.” She stops. “- And how does this is related to you cheating on Julie?” The Doctor asks.

 

“- Right” Karolina prepares herself “- We’re all together and that includes Nico, Nico Minoru, you know? One of the victims of that bastard Arcade? Well, she… I went to her house one day, I was worried and wanted to talk, and we kissed, nothing else happened but, yeah.

 

Dr. Mendez waited a little expecting Karolina to continue, she doesn’t. “- Well Karolina, you still haven’t talked about Julie.” At this point Karolina knows how Dr. Mendez operated, sometimes veering off course to know more so she obliges. _“I’m falling out of love”_ “- Things with Julie are complicated right now, we want different things in life, she still wants me to go to New York with her and I think she wants me to join her team or something, we never have time for each other and when we get together, well, it feels off, but she tries, she really does, and we love each other but that’s no excuse for what I did to her.”

 

“- Tell me about the incident with Nico, why did you decided to kiss her” The Doctor ask her.

 

“ _I love her” “-_ I’ve always liked her, and I had missed her, she was my first crush, I don’t know, there’s a lot of unresolved issues between us.”

 

“- And what does Nico think about this?”

 

“- Uhmm, I still haven’t talked to her”

 

“- Does she know you have a girlfriend”

 

“- She does”

 

“- Well, you have a lot on your plate” Dr. Mendez tells her “- What do you plan to do?

 

“ _Grab Nico and run away from everything”_ “- I don’t know” Karolina is really lost at this.

 

“- Alright, let start with the basic, you now have two assignments, first, you have to talk to Nico and see what she wants; and second, talk to Julie, she deserves tom know” Dr. Mendez leans forward in her seat. “- And you already know this, there’s a very real chance you and Julie will broke up.”

 

“- I know”

 

“- And Karolina, I want you to know this, there’s nothing inherently wrong in ending a relationship if that’s what you want, change happens, and neither that nor any mistakes you make means that you’re a bad person, the only thing that’s wrong is…”

 

“-Not being honest to myself and to others” Karolina finishes the sentence, one of the Doctor’s favorites.

 

“- Good” Doctor Mendez smiles at her “- Now, let’s review the other assignments you had” The rest of the session goes normally after that.

 

When Karolina stepped out of therapy she makes up her mind. She had to talk to Nico now. She grabs her phone and texts her.

 

-

 

You may think otherwise but sleep never eludes Nico Minoru, she might seem like the type of person that suffers from insomnia but she’s not, she actually falls asleep rather quickly every night, the problem is she rarely sleeps for long.

 

There are times when nightmares wake her up. And Nico has a myriad of choices when it comes to nightmares. Sometimes she dreams about the very first day her life changed, when she followed Alex Wilder to the basement of his house and saw her parents kill an innocent girl, except, in her dream, she’s the girl that is sacrificed; other times she dreams about Murderworld, one version when she doesn’t come back, and other times she’s facing an alien invasion of body snatchers and they win, her body gets in permanent control of something else and she’s gone forever.

 

But there is another thing she hates waking up to the most. Like now.  It begins with a pressure in her chest, it’s barely noticeable at first but it grows and it keeps going. Then comes a dull ache, she’s half-awake by now, and breathing becomes a little difficult. Then the sensation intensifies, like a snake digging its way into her chest. She wakes up with a gasp, eyes wide open and a pained expression on her face. She will never get used to the vision in front of her.

 

The Staff of One is trying to reenter her body, one third of the hilt is already inside her and Nico can feel every inch of it. For the longest time, since she first received the staff, whenever she found herself in this situation, she accepted her fate, gritted her teeth and let the damn thing do its business until it was finally over. But a few months ago, that changed, she no longer has the patience to nor the inclination to go out without a fight.

 

Nico knows that, ultimately, is useless, the fucking staff will end inside her sooner or later, but she doesn’t care, now that she is awake she pushes herself up as best as she can, grabs the staff with both hands and pulls. It’s horrible, it’s not exactly painful, it’s debilitating, mentally and physically, Nico feels like her insides are being pulled out of her, she doesn’t have the strength, she wants to quit and let the staff win, but no, fuck that, she keeps pulling, no scream comes out of her. By the end of the ordeal the staff remains outside of her, and she’s spent, sweaty and nauseous. There’s no use in trying to sleep again so she grabs a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and goes to the kitchen.

The kitchen light is on. Her first thought is of alarm “ _Fuck! Someone broke in, they’re coming for us”_ Then her instincts come in, she extends her hand toward her room and the Staff of One comes flying to her hand, as horrible as the thing is it sure is a useful weapon. Nico rushes as quietly as she can to the kitchen with her staff raised ready to fire a blast to whoever was dumb enough to get into their hideout.

 

“-Freeze, motherfucker!” She yells jumping onto the kitchen and then stops dead cold. Chase is in there, hands raised, clearly being caught on the act to find something to eat. “- Fucking shit Chase! I almost blow your head off”

 

“- Whoa, keep it down, everybody is asleep” Chase says urging Nico to lower her voice.

 

“- Shit, ok, yeah, but what is with you? Why are you up?” Nico glances at the clock above the sink, it’s 3 in the morning.

 

“- I was working on something and lost track of time, I got hungry” Chase shrugs and keeps rummaging in the cupboard. Nico is not stupid (not that much) he’s lying. She steps closer putting the Staff aside and notices his bloodshot eyes, his clumsy attempt at hiding something and the sick ethylic smell. Damn it.

 

“- Chase, are you drinking again?” Nico knows the answer but it’s better to phrase it as a question, Chase never responds right with too much pressure, hence, the drinking.

 

“- Look, it’s not what you think, okay? Chase looks at her silently pleading to not continue.

 

“- Hey, I’m not judging” She tells him “- Goodness knows I have my own skeletons, but there’s healthier ways to dealing with them”. Nico can’t stand when her friends suffer, that’s her one redeeming quality, and Chase’s drinking concerns her deeply, he’s a good man and deserves better.

 

“- Like shutting everyone off?” Low blow, Nico averts her eyes with a pained expression. “- Shit, Nico, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean...” It’s his turn to defuse the tension. “- Alright, yeah, I was drinking, I know it’s fucked up, but so is everything else”

 

Nico tries something, if she misjudged the issue it will backfire “- Gert?” She probes.

 

For a moment Chase doesn’t say anything not even moves, then, he just nods.

 

“- Well” Nico will have to bite the bullet this time “- misery loves company, at least pour me one Stein”

 

Chase laughs humorlessly and retrieves the bottle he desperately wanted to conceal from the cupboard and two glasses, one of which has been used, and pours for Nico and him.

 

It’s funny that Nico told Karolina a few days ago that, since not one of them is twenty-one, they can’t drink, that hasn’t stopped Chase before, nor her for that matter.

 

Chase gulps his drink in one motion and Nico mirrors him. The drink is vile, probably the cheapest foulest bourbon she has ever tasted, what matters is her ruse worked, Chase looks more relaxed and it seems he’s in the mood to talk now, she needs to keep him from drinking more.

 

“- So, what’s eating you about Gert? And just for the record I count this one as a victory, we finally saved her” Nico goes straight to the point, no use to tip toe around it.

 

“- We may have saved her, but we also ruined her life Nico” Oh, so that’s it, shit, he has a point. “- Look” He continues. “- In our present she doesn’t exist, right? She can’t go to school or get a job or anything, and…” Nico places a hand on his shoulder, the same gesture she used in the van on their way to Karolina’s a few days back, it pains her to notice how much he needs physical contact, poor guy’s been alone for far too long.

 

“She’s not talking to me Nico, god, I love her and I missed her so much, and she’s so lost and it kills me seeing her like that” Nico wants to say something but Chase is nowhere near done talking. “- And Victor isn’t talking to me much either, I want to build him a new body but he wouldn’t help, it’s like he’s resenting being alive, and even if I knew how to make a cybernetic body I don’t have the resources for it.” Again, Nico tries to talk but Chase continues. “- And then there’s Molly, what are we gonna do with her? Your spell worked but she needs to go to school and be normal and, can we give her that? She will go to foster care if she returns to school”.

 

It seems like Nico can talk now. Chase is right, everything is fucked up, but she can’t lose it, she was their leader once, and her friends need her again. “- I know it’s a lot Chase, but you’re not alone, alright?” Chase looks a little calmer now “- It’s not an ideal situation but everyone is alive, we can go from there.” Here comes a second bullet to bite, Nico would have to ask for help to the last person she wants to. “- Look, Karolina is coming over tomorrow, I can ask her to talk to her girlfriend and help us, surely the Avengers or whatever team she is in, can help with a couple of new identities for orphan kids and a synthetic body”.

 

“- Karolina is coming over eh?” Chase winks at her. Damn, she’s more transparent that she likes because she’s sure Chase didn’t catch on anything the time he interrupted them in Nico’s apartment. “- We text” She limits to say.

 

“- Well, I appreciate it, we sure could use some help” He smiles at her. “- And, Nico? I may be overstepping here, but, the way you two always go to each other? Well, just don’t loose hope, okay?”

 

“- Right, thanks Chase” Oh, if only he knew, it was weird, but yes, Nico has hope. “- Well, I have a couple of interviews in the morning” He says while putting away the bottle of awful bourbon and rinsing the glasses in the sink “- I want to catch some sleep, you?”

 

“- I’m gonna stay for a while, maybe go for a hike later” For a moment she thought it was weird that Chase didn’t ask why was she up so early, then she remembers, Chase knows why she wakes up at odd hours, he went through the same.

 

“- Okay, well, I’m off, ‘night” With that he’s gone. “- ‘Night Chase” Her plan worked, Chase stopped drinking, at least for now.

 

Nico is tired, her chest still aches from the Staff, and she’s dreading having to ask Karolina for Julie’s help, she’s overwhelmed by all the things she needs to do. But her friends are fine, alive, and together and Karrie is coming over, and maybe they’ll talk, about what happened at her former apartment, and all the lingering looks and the soft touches and maybe Karrie would ditch her girlfriend and, finally, finally Nico can be hers.

 

All things considered she’s in a better place than a week before. She has hope, it’s foolish, she knows, but, hey, craziest things have happened to her.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah! That ends chapter 5! 
> 
> At first I felt like this was kind of a filler, but it allowed me to develop characters a little more and write a couple interactions that I thought were interesting. I actually wanted to know about Karolina's therapist, I hope we get to see that in the comics, so for now I made her up. Also, I wanted Nico and Chase interact with each other.
> 
> You guys like it? Let me know in the comments, and thank you for reading!


	6. Control issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few things become clear to Karolina 1) She can't control herself and 2) A fight with Dr. Doom is surprisingly tougher than beating an old lady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Chapter 6, this one has it all! Fluff, action, more fluff... ok is basically just that, but it's good fluff and action. 
> 
> Trigger warning, there aer some kind of morbid mentions of death here, so, beware.

“- I just really missed you” Nico is blushing, right in front of Karolina, she feels like a dumb teenager, I mean, she is a teenager just not that dumb. It’s the effect Karolina has on her.

 

“- I missed you too” Karolina responds.

 

“ _Now! Do it now Minoru!”_ This could be it, it’s the perfect moment, the day before they spent a lovely afternoon with the rest of her friends, watching movies, playing games, it felt right, like a family. And Karolina stayed the night, okay, she slept in the couch instead of having her own room or better yet, sharing one with Nico, but she stayed.

 

Now they were in Karolina’s favorite dinner, they just had breakfast, and they had a blast, Nico can’t remember the last time she had so much fun and felt so at ease.  All that for a simple breakfast.

 

“ _Just reach across the table and hold her hand, it’s easy”_ Nico’s hand does reach across the table, for a second she looks up and Karrie is smiling at her, she’s expectant, and Nico swears Karolina’s hand was reaching for hers too. Nico grabs a piece of muffin instead “ _Great job you chicken shit! You’re going to die alone after all!”_

“- I’m gonna get the check” Karolina gets up walking to the register.

 

“It’s _okay, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to hold her hand later, chill”_ For once, Nico is not overthinking, she knows Karolina cares for her and soon they’ll talk, about their kiss and what they’re going to do and whatnot, for now, she lets herself relax, which is a thing that happens more and more every time she’s with Karolina. Her mood has taken a 180 from when she woke up (fuck the Staff of One and whoever is responsible for its creation)

 

“- Okay, let’s go” Karolina calls.

 

“- Uh? What about the check?” Nico asks her.

 

“- I already paid, c’mon, let’s go” Karolina pulls out some cash and tips the waiter.

 

“- Karrie! We were gonna split it!”

 

“- You can pay next time” Karrie hooks her arm to Nico’s leading them to the door. “- I’m gonna hold you up to that” Nico quips, then hugs Karolina’s arm. “ _Next time, there’s gonna be a next time.”_ A belly full of delicious food, a house full of friends to return to, Karrie’s closeness, god, Nico is so content she’s about to purr.

 

Outside the dinner the weather is perfect, the kind that invites to take the day off, reluctantly, Nico let go of Karrie and heads to the bus expecting Karolina to accompany her, then, Karolina stops her. “- Hey, Nico?”

 

“- Yeah?” Her heart begins beating faster, Karolina steps closer taking Nico’s hands. A coked-up monkey’s heartbeat has nothing on Nico’s now.

 

“- I know we haven’t talked yet, I promise we will, just… just give me a little time, please?”

 

“- Whatever you need, I’m not going anywhere”

 

“- Thanks, so, I’ll see you soon” They say their farewells and part ways, once in her car and only then Karolina checks her phone, she always forgets things like that when she’s with Nico, things like that checking phones, keeping track of time, how to breath.

 

There are a dozen messages and missed calls, all from Julie. “- Shit!” Karolina forgot to call her, Julie is still her girlfriend and she promised to call. Julie picks up at the first ring.

 

“- K! What happened? You didn’t call, I was really worried”-

 

“- Sorry, I lost track of time, it’s just…” “ _I cheated on you, I hurt a wonderful girl because I can’t control myself”_

“- Things got crazy now you have your family back?”

 

“- Yeah…” “ _And I don’t know what to do”_

“- Don’t worry about it, we’ll talk tomorrow. I can’t wait to meet Gert, Let’s go straight to the Hostel when you pick me up by the way, my flight arrives at 4”

 

“- Tomorrow, right! When I pick you up at the airport” “ _Shit, I have to pick her up, and talk to her, and to Nico._

“- I can’t wait to see you! It’s been hell spending this year apart. Still hoping I can talk you into transferring to Empire State in the fall…

 

“ _I’m the worst”_ “- Do your worst”

 

Karolina really feels like the worst, she is juggling with the hearts of two of the people she cares about the most in this world, because  she’s so selfish, she will need to make a decision and soon. Not for the first time she wonders if polyamory could be an option.

 

-

 

Nico’s first parent meeting was successful, no one questioned too much why a couple of late teenagers are in legal charge of a thirteen year old girl, which means her spell worked, Molly will keep going to school and will have the chance of a normal life, or as normal as a Runaway can have.

 

Back in Chase’s van, on their way home, Molly is awfully quiet in the back seat.

 

“- Hey Molls, everything okay?” Nico ask her, she’s her legal guardian, might as well start acting like one.

 

“- Yeah sure… it’s just weird, you know, you guys are my guardians now, don’t you feel old?” Damn kid has bite.

 

“- Oh, Molly, we don’t feel old, we are old!” Chase humor has that easy going self-deprecating tone that can make anyone laugh, it sure amuses Nico, but when she glances at Molly she is quieter now and looks deep in thought. Nico makes a mental note to talk with her later.

 

When they arrived at the Hostel, Nico notice Karolina’s car parked in the hidden entrance and rushes to the house. Yes, she is a very dumb teenager.

 

Karrie is chatting with Gert and Victor in the living room, at the sight of Nico, Chase and Molly she raises to greet them, a quick hug for Chase and Molly, for Nico, just a caress to her arm and a smile.

 

“- Not that I’m not happy to see you but what brings you here Karrie?” Nico hopes these visits will become a recurring surprise.

 

“- I brought some books I got from my roommate, I think they could help Molly a lot.” Molly thanks her from the kitchen where she’s making herself a snack. “- Also, I talked to Julie about Gert and Molly situation, she’s coming to town for a few days and I want to bring her over.” Everyone agrees is a good idea, Nico included. “- But,” She continues “- there’s bad news, apparently there’s a provisional ban on synthetic bodies since the incident with The Vision, but Julie thinks there are other options we can discuss, provided Vic is okay with that”

 

“- The jury is still out” The android says.

 

“- Right, well, I’m off then, see you guys tomorrow” A hand on her arm makes her stop, she knows who’s is.

 

“- It’s late, you can stay if you want”

 

Nico’s offer is innocent enough, it just shows concern for Karolina’s wellbeing, it is late and she lives an hour away, it would be completely reasonable to spend the night, as a guest, nothing more. But she can’t stay, not because she has plans anywhere else or because she has things to do in the morning, she does, but is nothing that urgent. No, she can’t stay because she can’t trust herself. The last time she was in a closed space with Nico she cheated on Julie, and that’s not something that happens, ever. Karolina has had her fair share of propositions from a wide range of girls, beautiful girls, the model variety you can find in Malibu Beach.

 

But Karolina never acted on those propositions, she was never tempted, not even a little bit, she has the best girlfriend in the world, Julie is not only beautiful, she’s kind and brilliant and brave. So, Karolina remained faithful. Until Nico. Yesterday she had stayed, it was very late and she was tired and was enjoying herself so much, so without ceremony she crashed on the couch with only a blanket and a pillow she borrowed from Gert that would have been the endo of it, except when she was alone she couldn’t sleep, having Nico so close, only a couple of rooms away was so tempting, Karolina did raise from the couch and headed for Nico’s room, an Herculean effort on her part prevented her from knocking on the door. And that situation is getting worse, or better, she can’t decide, the point is, if she accepted the offer to stay, she surely been given a room of her own this time, but she’s damn sure, as soon as everybody is asleep, she would seek the comfort of Nico’s arms and no force on earth could have stopped her.

 

“- I would love to, but I have things to do in the morning” She tells Nico and leaves before a simple “please” changes her mind.

 

-

 

Everything has to be perfect, the new curls in her hair look good, her makeup is on point, she picked an outfit modest but alluring, one that shows the right amount of skin, her midriff bare, Nico doesn’t have the toned abs of friggin Julie Power but she knows her slim figure is attractive enough, she hopes it is, honestly, is like tossing a coin right now.

 

Nico exists her room expecting everything to be in order, she began cleaning earlier that day and asked the rest of the guys to help, by now, the Hostel should be presentable. But this is the Runaways we are talking about, they would make a disaster out of a small chore like “pick your stuff up”.

 

The living room is a mess, Gert, Molly, Chase and Victor are playing games without a care in the world.

 

“- Are you guys gonna help me clean?” Everyone dismisses her. Damn it. The only one helping is Old Lace, when hearing the word “cleaning” she began picking pizza boxes and take out bags and cans of soda with her snout and pilling them up in a corner of the kitchen. Not exactly ideal but it puts the mess out of the view. Nico loves that adorable perfect killing machine.

 

There’s voices in the hallway. Here it comes, the moment Nico feared for days.

 

“- Hey everybody! We’re here.  You guys remember Julie?” The couple enters the living room holding hands.

 

Shit, just, Shit! Julie Power is a fucking goddess, tall, athletic, stylish, a smile straight out of a toothpaste commercial, she’s almost on par with Karrie, no one is on the same level as Karrie of course, but Julie is up there, and yes, it’s kind of weird that they look so much alike, but gorgeous people attract gorgeous people, right?

 

Nico feels diminutive, inadequate, like she was put together wrong, now it seems her clothes accentuate every single one of her flaws, her pants are a little too washed out and are baggy at her hips, she’s too thin she can fill them out, her skin is too pale, sickly white and she had the nerve to show it, her hair is ridiculous, the curls make her look like she couldn’t care enough to brush it.

 

Nico tries to put her most charming smile, it comes out like she’s happy to have diarrhea.

 

Molly rushes to Julie practically forcing her to go see her room, which allows the rest of them to take a moment.

 

“- Okay, I already talked to Julie about our situation and she thinks she can put Gert and Molly in the Future Foundation Warden program, that would make the foundation their legal guardians and about Vic, well, a synthetic body is out of the table, but is possible to get an exo skeleton, or robotic body without fighting or military capabilities.”

 

“- I still don’t know if I want to do that” Victor interjects from his spot on the coffee table.

 

“- C’mon Vic” Chase admonishes him “- You could try for a while and drop it if you don’t like it”

 

“- Let’s wait for her so we can work all the details, okay?” Karolina turns to Nico “- And Nico, there’s…”

 

She can’t finish the sentence; a loud explosion shakes the whole Hostel.

 

When, finally, the tremors stop, everyone goes to Chase’s laptop to see what the security cameras caught on.

 

Nico looks at the screen and goes pale, pare than normal that is.

 

“ _Oh no”_

 

Doom.

 

Dr. Doom is at their door demanding Victor’s head.

 

How could this happen? They were fine, hidden, living in peace. Of course it couldn’t last.

 

“- We can deal with him, what’s our defense protocol?” Nico didn’t even notice when Julie came downstairs.

 

“- Protocol?” Fear is starting to creep into Nico’s mind.

 

“- We don’t have a protocol” Karolina intervenes.

 

“- Then we fight him off, Nico, what’s the battle plan” Why is Julie asking her?

 

“- My plan is not to battle, we’re hopelessly outgunned here, we retreat, go underground” Nico isn’t sure they can outrun him but the alternative is worse.

 

“- We are already underground we can’t escape that way” Gert is freaking out.

 

“- You have an escape plan?” Julie asks again, she looks alert but not distraught.

 

“- No” Is all Nico manages to say.

 

Julie sighs in exasperation. “- Fine, I’m going out there to distract him, have everyone ready to leave!” She says before flying out of the living room.

 

“- Guys, we gotta fight, we can’t let him have Vic!” Chase tells the group and then follows Julie outside, his fistagons already on. Molly, Old Lace and Gert follows suit.

 

“- Nico…” Karolina places a hand on her shoulder.

 

“- I…” Nico can’t move.

 

“- It’s fine, stay with Victor” Karolina flies outside too.

 

“- Nico” Victor calls her, no response. “- Nico” she didn’t hear him. “- Nico!”

 

“- Uh?” She finally acknowledges him.

 

“- You can’t let them do this! I think I have an idea but you need to stop the fight, go! Please Nico!”

 

That gets her moving.

 

Nico runs as fast as she can, she reaches the entrance of the Hostel.

 

Julie and the Runaways are throwing everything they have at Doom. Chase goes straight to him only to be blasted away, he’s not vaporized so Doom must be using non-lethal shockwaves, very nice of him.

 

In typical Molly fashion she kicks Doom’s shin but didn’t trip him, she barely makes a dent, he must be using some kind of shield and stabilizer, figures, that bastard’s armor is even more advanced than Iron Man’s.

 

Julie grabs Molly away from Doom before she gets hurt, Karolina provides cover for them with a blast of her own but he forces her into the defensive with a counterattack.

 

Gert use the distraction to help Chase get on his feet, Old Lace protecting them, Doom sees them and fires at them, Lace takes Chase away from the danger but leaves Gert to receive the attack. What the hell happened?!

 

Nico can’t move. Her friends are fighting against one of the most dangerous persons in the world and she can’t lift a finger to help them.

 

-

 

Karolina trusts blindly in her family and Julie, if they rushed to fight Dr. Doom she will be at their side in a second. She provides crucial air support for them while dodging any attacks that come her way. But Doom is not taking them seriously, he’s after Victor, how much longer until he gets fed up and causes real damage. They need to finish this off and quick.

 

“- Karolina, stop! You might hit molly!” Julie yells at her, she’s right. “We can’t fight Doom without a plan he’s too powerful” Again, she’s right, but…

 

“- There’s no time to plan, Nico will think of something…” Karolina knows Nico would come up with something. “Or someone will, until then, we improvise”

 

“- Karolina! That’s reckless!”

 

“- It has worked us so far”

 

“- No, it hasn’t! Half of your team was dead”

 

“- We are not a team, we’re a family” Karolina have always defended her family, it seems she needs to do it from her own girlfriend this time.

 

“- You can be both” Julie counters. They’ll talk about this later. Right now, she needs to get…

 

She sees Nico is not moving, she’s just standing on the entrance of the Hostel, something is wrong “- Nico!” Karolina manages to yell before a shot knocks her out.

 

-

 

Fighting an old lady and some cats is one thing, facing Dr. Doom is in another level entirely.

 

Nico is paralyzed, the scene before her is everything you can expect from a super human fight. People flying around, energy blasts shot everywhere, bodies being tossed away. It looks terrifying similar to another scene in Nico’s life.

 

Suddenly she’s no longer in sunny California, she’s somewhere else, somewhere cold. Nico tries to refocus and tries to scratch her left forearm as hard as she can to draw some blood but can’t. She remembers the pain, her left arm is cut off and her staff split in two, her blood is everywhere, she tries to fight to no avail, her attackers, Nighthawk, Deathlocket, Apex, somewhere in her mind she recalls those names, keep coming at her; she can’t deal with the pain, it’s just too much and she’s defenseless now.

 

More than anything Nico remembers what it felt like, herself falling down a cliff, her bones breaking all over again, landing on her face in the snow and bleeding out. She’s relieving it now, her terror was extreme, she was going to die, she wanted to get up, reach for what’s left of her staff, heal herself, keep fighting, keep living. She couldn’t, her strength abandoned her. A sense of inevitability overcome her, she couldn’t keep it up, she didn’t want to die, she was sad and furious and afraid of the end, but she, ultimately, accepted it, the longer she fought the more her agony will last and more pain she would have to endure, Nico knew what she needed to do, there was a way to stop it. She relaxed, she let go, it still hurt and she was still terrified but she knew it was only temporary, the pain and the fear, in just a couple of minutes her heart will stop and she will cease to exist, it will all be over soon. She remembers feeling calm, and, having the clarity that those were her final moments on this world, she wanted her last thoughts to be of the person she loved the most. Nobody saw it, nobody will ever know it, but when Nico Minoru’s life ended she thought of Karolina Dean, her Karrie. Nico died with a smile on her face.

 

Of course, it wasn’t the end, whatever is that lives inside her awoke that time and granted enough power to fight back, not only the other poor kids, victims in Murderworld but death itself. She felt like a god and never wants to feel like that again.

 

Karolina’s scream brings her back to the moment, she sees Karrie falling down after being hit by one of Doom’s blasts. Nico wanted to catch her somehow but her body was still unresponsive. The fight ends soon after that, Doom subdues everyone and is coming at her.

 

Nico couldn’t move, she tried but she’s so scared. Doom barely acknowledges her presence, he just shoves her aside and goes for Victor’s head.

 

In a second Karrie is beside her and helps her to her feet, the rest of the guys come too.

 

“- Now, I have you Victor Mancha” Doom says to the head of Victor now in his power. Then, Doom’s own head retracts into his body. That’s no Doom, is a Doombot! The robot attaches Victors head to its body and heads for the exit while the Runaways rush to block its path

 

“- Everyone stay back! And don’t follow us!” Victor yells at the group before the Doombot now with Victor’s head, flies away.

“- Damn it! We have to stop it!” Julie goes to her handbag and retrieves four devices that look like high tech hearing aid, she attaches one to her ear and offers one to Karolina. “- It’s headed for the sea, it’s trying to escape, shit, I can bring it down but I’ll need your help K”

 

Karolina hesitates for a second, Nico needs her help but so do Victor, and right now, since he’s in the hands (so to speak) of an evil overlord, he has the priority. She grabs the device and plug it in her ear.

 

Julie hands the remaining two devices to Chase “- Put this on, I’ll tell you what to do” After that she flies to catch the Doombot.

 

Karolina glances at Nico, and touches her shoulder reassuringly, then, she follows her girlfriend.

 

-

 

Julie is so much faster than Karolina but for now she keeps up with her so she can relay some final orders. They’re closing on the Doombot.

 

“- K, I’m going to accelerate and grab it, with enough speed I can make it turn 180 but I need you to zap it if it breaks free, got it?” The tone in Julie’s voice leaves no room for debate.

 

“- Got it” Karolina says.

 

“- Chase, you copy?” Julie tests her communicator.

 

“- Yeah, we copy” Chases responds, still in the Hostel.

 

“- Go to the hills north of the Hostel to the communications tower near there, there should be a dirt road to there, take Karolina’s car, you’ll get faster, got it?”

 

“- Hills, north of here, communication tower, got it” Chase responds her.

 

It astonishes Karolina how Julie is handling things, decisive, brave, and planning ahead. She really is a super hero.

 

“- Right K, here goes nothing”

 

-

 

The convertible is speeding through the dirt road, Chase is a good driver and they’re making good time. It’s a tight fit but everyone’s come, including poor Old Lace that barely fits in the back seat along with Nico and Molly.

 

Nico snapped out of it and wanted to come, she has no idea if she’s of some use or not.

They reach the communications tower, and see why Julie picked this spot, is a wide clearing, no trees for a couple hundred yards around and no living soul on sight.

 

They step out of the car, still without a plan.

 

“- Hate to be that person, but, what now? Yell curses when the damn robot passes over here?” Gert asks, she has a point.

 

“- Wait a second” Chase activates his communicator, the other is in Nico’s ear. “- Julie, we’re here, what you want us to do?

 

“I’m gonna make that thing land there, the second it touches ground give it everything you have” Julie responds. “- Keep sharp for us, we’re coming from the south.”

 

“- Ok, gang, it’s up to us to keep the bot on the ground”

 

-

 

Julie speeds up, she’s fast, no one knows how much for sure, but she can easily break the sound barrier, the Doombot is no match for her. She collides with the robot and wrap her arms around it, at her speed it’s not really a fight. Julie looks up and see that Victor is yelling something, but without a communicator there’s no way she can hear him.

 

“- Shit!” Karolina sees her girlfriend smash against the Doombot and veer hard left making a u turn. She gets the idea and does a 180 too.

 

“- K! This thing is faster than I thought! I’m losing it, zap him! Now!” Julie is scream in her earpiece.

 

The robot wriggles out of Julies grasp and accelerates, Karolina block its path but the robot seems like it will past right at her. It doesn’t have the chance, Karolina fires at it making it turn towards the hills. She sees Victor saying something, but she can’t hear him.

 

“- Move away K! I’m gonna make it land!” Julie accelerates again, this time with more force. Her original plan was to grab the damn thing and forcing it to land with her speed, but the Doombot is as fast as she is, this is not going to work.

 

-

 

“- I think I see them!” Molly yells.

 

“- It’s them but they’re not landing, what’s happening?” Gert says in alarm.

 

Chase and Nico’s communicator buzzes “- I can’t make it land!! You’ll have to force it!!” The hear Julie screaming.

 

“- Shit!” Chase looks at Nico but she looks as lost as him. “- Nico! You have to do it”

 

“- What?!”.

 

“- Only you can ground it!” Chase tell her.

 

“- I can’t…” Nico pleads, she really can’t.

 

“- Nico, look at me” Chase grabs her hands. “- Our friends need you, we all need you, I know you’re scared, I am too, but none of us can do it, we’re running out of time! Please!”

 

He’s right, only Nico can ground the Doombot.

 

She splits from the rest and bites her own lip, hard.

 

“- When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge” The Staff leaves her body.

 

She positions herself and says to her communicator “- Julie, can you make it descend a little further?”

 

“- I can do that!” It’s Karolina who responds.

 

“- Once you make it descend, stay clear!”

 

-

 

Karolina will have to do this, Julie is still pushing the Doombot towards the communications tower but might as she try the robot isn’t losing any altitude.

 

“- Julie! Clear off! Now!”

 

When Julie complies, Karolina fires a powerful blast at the robot. That does it. Her shot hits it in one of the legs.

 

“- Now, Nico, now!!”

 

-

 

Nico has only one shot at this, the Doombot is closing fast, she needs the right spell or everything will go to shit.

 

She sees the blast from Karrie and the robot drops enough for her spell.

 

This is it. One chance. “- **CRASH!** ”

Her spell works, the robot loses control and is heading to the ground fast. Too fast. Shit! It’s going down way too fast. She fucked up, “crash” wasn’t the right spell, at that speed it will be completely destroyed… along with Victor.

 

“- **STOP, ASCEND, UNDO**!!!” She tries spell after spell but she must have used them before, nothing happens. She just killed Victor. “- Nooooo!!!!” She yells when the Doombot smashes to the ground.

 

Everyone rushes to the crash site, Julie and Karolina are there too. No one says anything.

 

When the dust settles they can finally see what happened.

 

“- Well, that could go worse” Victor tries to defuse some tension. He’s unharmed, the Doombot is totaled, but it protected Victor’s head, it must’ve been programmed that way.

 

Everyone is relieved. Nico can breathe again.

 

“- Guys, I was trying to tell you, this thing is about to self-destruct” Victor says.

 

“- What!” Everyone says in unison.

 

“- It has a bomb or something! I detected the moment it plugged me in, you gotta to go now!”

 

“- Fuck that” Chase kneels beside the ruined robot and starts tearing it apart with his fistagons, he finds the bomb imbedded in the robot’s chest.

 

“- Fuck, I detached it but I can’t disarm it” He tells them “- Nico, can you send it away or something?”

 

“- I… No, I used that spell already…”

 

“- Ugh…” Julie groans in frustration. “- I’ll do it”.

 

“- Julie, wait!” Karolina tries to stop her but Julie is already in the air with the bomb.

 

For a few tense seconds they all watch Julie Power going upwards, then they see big flash way up in the sky, the bomb went off. Moments later a bright glow lands near them, Julie is back and unharmed.

 

“- Before anyone starts freaking out, it’s not my first time doing that, okay?” Julie says before the astonished looks of the Runaways.

 

Karolina rushes to her girlfriend and hugs her tight. “- Damn it Julie” She can’t say anything else, Julie hugs her back.

 

Everyone is congratulating themselves, Chase go to the pile of rubble to retrieve Victor, Molly helping him, and is already thinking on what to do with the ruined Doombot. Gert goes to Old Lace and pets her; the dinosaur welcomes the attention. Nico is drained she gives some space to the rest of the guys, she leans on Karolina’s car with a sigh. They need to go home.

 

“- Hey Babe?” Julie calls for Karolina’s attention. “- I’m gonna have to make a few calls and report this back home and let the local authorities know about this, a Doombot in American soil is kind of a big thing.”

 

“- Oh, okay, if you don’t mind I’m gonna go with the guys back at the Hostel, they need my help and I wanna check on them.”

 

“- Sure, I’ll go to the police and probably stay until very late though. Look, I booked a hotel just in case” Julie winked at this “- So I’ll stay there for tonight, see you tomorrow at your dorm?

 

“- Of course! And Julie, thanks for everything”

 

“- Anytime” Julie smiles at her and pecks her lips. Karolina responded but it felt wrong somehow. “- He guys!” She calls the rest of them “Ill deal with the police about this, but I’ll see you tomorrow” She waves at them and then flies away.

 

“- Lest go back home” Karolina states.

 

-

 

Back at the hostel, they made a quick assessment of the damages. There was little they could do about the destroyed security cameras or the damage to the entrance’s blast door, so, mostly they just cleaned the living room and kitchen. Tiredness took over and the Runaways decided to call it a day.

 

Karolina was, indeed, given a room for her to stay the night as well as some clothes, an oversized shirt that Chase hadn’t used in years and some shorts property of Nico, luckily, they fit her well enough.

 

It was late at night and Karolina was still awake. She knew it, she knew this was going to happen, it was inevitable. She got up, the floor feels icy to her bare feet. It takes a few seconds but she exits her room. Nico’s room was on the first floor so Karolina needed to cross the living room to the stairs, she was midway there when a sound coming from the living room stopped her in her tracks.

 

It was a whimper, a sob, someone was crying, but where? She scanned the room and saw nothing; the sobs have stopped. Karolina approaches slowly to where she thought the sound came from, near the sofa.

 

Her heart ached at the sight.

 

Nico is curled up at the opposite end of the sofa, wrapped around in a blanket, bawling her eyes out as quietly as possible, her hands were pressing at her eyes trying to stop her tears.

 

Karolina rushes to her and kneels at her side.

 

“- Oh my god! Nico! Are you hurt? Where does it hurt?” She says frantically while extending her arms at Nico, like looking for an unseen injury.

 

Nico doesn’t respond, she just shakes her head.

 

“- Nico, what is it? Please, talk to me” Nico is hurting and Karolina can’t stand this, she has to make it stop.

 

Nico finally looks at her, her eyes are red and clearly, she has been crying for a long time now. “- Karrie… I…“ Nico can’t finish the sentence; another wave of sobs takes over her.

 

Karolina climbs on the sofa and wraps her around the crying girl, her cheek resting on Nico’s head.

 

“- It’s okay Nico, it’s okay, I’m here” Karolina says soothingly “- I'm here, it’s okay” She repeats over and over, occasionally planting kisses on Nico’s temple.

 

After a while, Nico is calm enough to talk “- I was so scared… I couldn’t move”

 

“- It’s over now, you’re safe” Karolina responds her.

 

They stay like that for a while longer, the night is chilly and Karolina begins to shiver. Nico opens her blanket to Karolina, she takes the offer eagerly. Nico wrap her arms around Karolina’s waist and Karrie responds in kind.

 

They don’t say anything else, they don’t intend to move to one of the rooms, or even move at all. They don’t need to. Nico falls asleep quickly, Karolina snuggles closer, tomorrow she will have to deal with a whole new set of confusing feelings and messed up situations, but right now, she allows herself on basking in the certainty and calmness of Nico Minoru’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was tough, the frikking ending took 4 drafts and two days to complete, but it's done! And look, it's not bed sharing (a trope that I love) but, hey!, at least they slept together. Also, I'm calling it since now, Doombot, no way Dr Doom himself fought the Runaways.
> 
> A few notes: The Vision incident Karolina mentions is a reference to The Vision limited comics series of 2017 by Tom King, in which Vitor gets his body destroyed, awesome comic thoough a bit creepy, I highly recomend it.
> 
> Nico's flaschback is her fight against Apex, Deathlocket and Chase as Darkhawk in Avengers Arena, she learned the extension of her power there but at a grat price. I took the liberty to make the flashback as graphic as I dared because that comic is pretty graphic itself.
> 
> This is the last chapter in which I really heavily on the comics canon because I catched up whith it, from here it's full AU.
> 
> You guys like it? Let me know in the comments!


	7. Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some truths come out in the open and everyone will have to deal with it as best as the can.
> 
> Will Karolina have the courage to own her mistakes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little lore heavy but I included some notes at the end to explain as best as I could.
> 
> Also, this has a little more fluff than previous chapters but I needed that after the last one and is the first in which I don't use any scene of the comics!
> 
> Hope you like it.

Like everyone else, Nico Minoru have good days, bad days and regular days. Her regular days are what you can expect from an unemployed high school dropout goth girl living in LA; her definition of good days has changed since a couple weeks back, before, the good days were the ones when she could interact amicably with another human being or when she had the energy to cook something better than instant ramen, now, they’re the ones when her gang of misfits thrive, especially since Karolina Dean came back into her life, oh yes, the good days always include Karolina Dean.

 

But the bad days, those remain the same, flashbacks, night terrors, a never-ending feeling of dread, and despair.  Add a fight with a Doombot and almost kill one of your friends and you have a recipe for disaster.

 

When they returned home after the fight there was a lot to do, assess the damage to the hostel, repairing what could be fixed right away, cleaning the place as much as possible. It took a couple of hours for the Runaways to finish only the most urgent tasks. They were spent and not in the mood to talk so, after giving a room and some sleeping clothes to Karolina, they all went to bed.

 

Nico woke up half an hour into her sleep, no nightmares or anything like that, it was just that Karrie was there, and Nico wanted to see her (honestly, she wanted to do a lot more to Karrie than just see her) and just to talk to her, her day had been shitty and she needed some comfort;  and given that Karolina had been so open to spend time with Nico it seemed reasonable to go downstairs to Karolina’s room to see if she was awake.

 

When Nico went downstairs she glanced at the coffee table in the middle of the living room, on said table rested the cable Chase used that morning to plug Victor into the second-hand Xbox on which they were playing.

 

It was enough to send her spiraling down.

 

She almost killed Victor, her recklessness, her lack of imagination and overall incompetence almost got one of her friends killed. Victor, sweet, funny Victor Mancha, the same boy she threw herself at once seeking some warm body to spend the night, the Victor who was heartbroken at the revelation of his true origin, who would forfeit his life if it means to remain good.

 

In a moment, Nico was out of breath and was shaking like a leaf.  She can deal with a lot of things, but hurting her friends is beyond what she can stand. She also knows well what dying is like, and the mere notion to doing that to Victor… it was too much.

 

She felt sick and began to retch, her legs were given up, then she remembered she froze on her friends, she didn’t fight, she let them down, they all could have died and she did nothing. Nico sat on the sofa trying to calm herself but it was no use, she was having a panic attack. She grabbed a blanket that was discarded on the sofa and cried.

 

It must’ve been another half hour until Karolina came and tried to calm her. Karrie was close and that was enough. When Nico noticed the shivers coming from Karolina she opened the blanket and, when Karrie was secured in her arms, she closed the blanket and cuddled as close as humanly possible. That calmed her, soon after that, she was asleep.

 

Nico woke up again some time later. Karolina was still in her arms, fast asleep and so beautiful, Nico didn’t know what she did right to deserve this. Still, they were in an awkward position and it would’ve be best to move to a bed, but she was so comfy and warm, in a couple of minutes Nico will wake Karrie up and lead her to her bed, where they can sleep some more, she just need to rest her eyes for a moment.

 

When Nico woke up again she was in her bed, laying on her side and comfortably tucked up. Curious, she didn’t move there on her own, which means… “ _Oh god! Karrie must’ve carried me here”_ Which, in turn, also means… “ _I’m in bed with Karrie! She’s here with me!”_ For the moment, the dark thoughts s that lurk her mind are replaced with excitement. “ _Did we cuddle? I should turn and cuddle”_ There were no arms around her and she misses that, she so desperately wants to be touched. She can’t take this anymore, Nico turns.

 

Empty.

 

Apart from her, the bed is empty, she’s alone. No Karolina to be seen. “ _Of course she’s not here, what did you expect? She has a girlfriend, a goddess of a girlfriend, why would she choose you over her?”_ Talking about dark thoughts. “ _She must have slept in her room, she just carried you here, damn it Minoru, you and your stupid fantasies!”_ Before spiraling any further she notices a folded sheet of paper with a scribble on it resting on the bedside table. She reaches for it.

 

“Had to rush to school, wanted to say goodbye but you were out cold! (and looked so cute!) XOXO”

 

Nico clutches the note close to her hart, like a goddamn teenager in love, which she was apparently. “ _She stayed with me”_. In the last couple of weeks, since Nico got her friends back, she noticed Karolina’s eagerness to stay close to all of them, surely Karolina has missed them, but particularly to Nico, who is more than happy to be the main recipient of that closeness. For all the shit in her life, this thing with Karolina seems to be going really well.

 

There is only one tiny detail about this situation. Julie Power. Yeah, Karolina has a girlfriend. Which makes Nico a side girl. What to make of all of this? One day, Karrie kisses her, then she asks for time, and now, nothing, what if Karolina kissed her just to get it out of her system? What if she wants Nico to really be her side girl? What if she’s deluding herself and she’s not really that important to Karrie?

 

Ok, enough self doubt for the morning, she’s hungry and she can smell pancakes being made, and she needs to pack Molly’s lunch, having her friends back has its advantages and responsibilities.

 

-

 

Karolina woke up on sofa curled up with Nico. Her neck was in an awkward angle and is aching like crazy, she needs a real bed. For a moment she considered waking Nico up, but that would’ve been cruel, Nico needed her rest and right now she looks so cute. Karolina decided to carry Nico back to her room and then, like the decent and faithful person she is, return to her own room.

 

She picks Nico up bridal style, not that is suggesting or something, and takes her upstairs. Karolina is surprised at how easy this is, Nico is so light, she makes a mental note to bring more nutritious food to the Hostel and maybe even invite Nico to her gym, help her pack some muscle.

 

Karolina reaches Nico’s room, deposits her in the bed and tucks her in, she lingers there for a moment, and feels like a creep, because who does that? Just staring at a girl sleep? No, she needs to do something. Like the horrible and deceitful person she is, she slides between the covers and spoons Nico. Don’t judge her to harshly, Karolina is just curious, she wants to know what does it feel like sleeping with Nico, because that’s a thing people do, right? Furthermore, she will stay only for a couple of minutes.

 

Nico lets out a sigh and wriggles closer to her. How in the world can Karolina leave now? She throws an arm over Nico and plants a kiss in the back of her head.

 

“- Sweet dreams, Nico” She says before closing her eyes and sleep.

 

Karolina wakes up a couple hours later, Nico still in her arms, and legs, apparently, she had flung one over Nico’s during the night and now their legs are tangled together. She has Nico so close and she’s so warm and it’s so comfy, it’s heaven. The only thing Karolina wants to do is go back to sleep, but alas, she has classes today; she gives in temptation and kiss Nico’s cheek as tenderly as possible after getting up.

 

She doesn’t want to just bail, so Karolina looks for a pen and some piece of paper to write a note before leaving the room. On her way out of the Hostel she encounters Chase who was working on some metal contraption in the living room.

 

“- Morning” Chase greets her cheerfully without looking up from his project.

 

“- Morning” Karolina responds blushing at the realization that Chase saw her coming down from the second floor, when the room she was given was in the first floor. Alright, maybe it’s a little farfetched that someone deduce she spent the night with Nico just by her going down the stairs, and even if that was the case, Chase is way too polite to comment on it.

 

“- It’s not my business, but, are you and Nico official yet? I’m only asking because if you’re visiting frequently it will be better for Nico to move to a more spacious room and I’ll need to prepare one of those” So much for the farfetched stuff and politeness.

 

“- Uh, no, I…” Now she’s blushing for real.

 

“- Okay, just, let me know in advance, those rooms are not exactly in livable conditions. Want me to make some breakfast?” Chase finally stops working to look at Karolina, there’s no malice in his gaze but he’s definitely amused.

 

“- No, uh, thanks, I’m running late, I’ll eat something on campus” Karolina is starving and she has time, but having breakfast here will only result in Chase probing further. Screw that.

 

“- Alright, see you around then” Chase says, resuming his work.

 

“- Bye” Karolina goes for her things and change clothes as graciously and fast as she can, leaving the hostel a few minutes later, red as a tomato.

 

She arrives at Pomona College for her first class of the day with time to spare to check up on Julie, deciding on calling her right away after skimming some texts her girlfriend sent her.

 

“- Hey, babe” Julie answers right away.

 

“- Hey, sorry to bail on you, the house was a mess and we finished very late. How did things with the police go?”

 

“- Bureaucratic nightmare! I hadn’t filled forms for supervillain attack in ages, did you know there are standardized formats across the country for that now? The times we live in, I swear. I’m leaving the precinct right now and I’m starving, wanna go for breakfast?”

 

The notion of food makes Karolina’s stomach grumble, but she can’t afford miss class again. “- Just give me an hour, I have a class to attend but there’s a couple hours free afterwards”

 

“- Perfect!”

 

“- Okay, I’ll text you” Karolina hangs up feeling awful. Julie spent the night busting her ass in a police precinct wrapping up the mess she and her friends made. And what was Karolina doing? Making excuses to cuddle with Nico. She needs to come clean with Julie, she has no idea what will happen or what she wants to do, but the first step is confess.

 

She meets with Julie a while later in a dinner near the campus. The place is packed, they have a menu 100% devoted to vegan food, so is normal that half the students in Pomona have meals there. Julie is already seated and perusing the menu when Karolina arrives.

 

“- Hey” She says, seating in the opposite seat from Julie, Karolina doesn’t peck Julie in the lips as she would normally do, it doesn’t feel right. Julie doesn’t seem to mind.

 

“- Hey yourself, how did things go, everything alright?”

 

Karolina is wearing the same clothes as yesterday and needs a shower, she’s starving and her head is already aching, she also has the not at all pleasant task to inform her girlfriend she cheated on her.  She’s anything but alright.

 

“- Yeah, I’m just really hungry, can we order?”

 

Julie agrees and calls a waiter to place their orders. They wait for their food making idle chat, Karolina wants to, at least, have a couple bites before dropping the bomb on her girlfriend, if you’re gonna be dumped it’s better to bare it with something in your stomach. She wolfs down an order of pancakes and a cup of coffee before they start talking.

 

“- So, is everything about the Doombot all wrapped up?” Okay, is kind of a dick move to ask that right now, but Karolina needs to look out for her family.

 

“- Pretty much” Julie says between bites “- I just told them that an unknow superhero group took care of it, I know many in the police force worked for your parents” That’s it, they will all be okay. No trace back to them. “- It was trickier with Dr. Richards” Julie continues “- It’s not like there’s a protocol or something, but you guys never let anyone know you’re based here”

 

“- What?” To say Karolina is confused would be downplay it grossly.

 

“- Well, a Doombot appeared out of nowhere, I called Franklin and told him what happened, a minute later I’m in a holo call with Reed Richards, he didn’t know the Runaways existed, crazy right?”

 

Panic is beginning to rise in Karolina “- Julie, what exactly did you do?”

 

“- Well, after I told them we took down a Doombot they needed your identities to entry the database, mere formality of course, but man, you never stopped to do that”

 

“- Did you just out us?!” Karolina almost yelled but years of running away and hiding take over and she manages to keep composed.

 

“- Out you? Babe, no, of course not. You have to register to the Future Foundation to apply for their programs “

 

“- They are registered?!”

 

“- Uh... yes, we talked about this, Gert and Molly were accepted”

 

“- Wait, Julie, we talked about it, nothing more, you told me there were options, what is going on?”

 

“- Alright, K, calm down, nothing’s going on, I just wanted this to be a surprise” Julie pauses for a moment, waiting for Karolina to calm “- I came all the way down to California to give you the good news! Franklin and Valeria are helping me with this, you all were approved to start your training this summer! All your friends can come to New York! I know you didn’t want to separate your team now that it’s reunited, and now you don’t have to, you can transfer to Empire State!”

 

The silence between them stretches for only a couple of seconds but it seemed like ages, finally, Karolina breaks it “- Julie, you lost me, what are you talking about? What training? What transfer?”

 

 “- I knew you wouldn’t consider moving to New York with me now that the Runaways are back, so I talk with my friends and now they all have a spot in the Foundation…”

 

“- I didn’t ask you to do any of this” Karolina interrupts her “- And it does sound that you out us, registering Molly and Gert? Telling freaking Mister Fantastic about the Runaways? And training? To do what? Are you trying to conscript us?” Few things can make Karolina mad, messing with her family is certainly one of them.

 

“- I didn’t out you, okay?” Now Julie is pissed. “- Look, it’s a delicate subject, but after Arcade leaked that footage, half the world knows who Nico and Chase are, their identities are not exactly secret, plus Nico was an Avenger, every hero in the country has heard of her” Thinking about it Karolina realized this is true, those damn videos… one more reason to kill Arcade “- As for Gert and Molly, I only entered their names in the waiting list of the Foundation, nothing more, no picture, no address no aliases, nothing, Franklin helped me getting their names pass to the accepted list. Victor was an Avenger too, and after The Vision debacle his name became very famous in our circle. As for you, well, you are my girlfriend and my identity is public, you don’t have an alter ego but people have seen you fly around with me, they can put two and two together.”

 

That seems rational, perhaps Karolina was too overprotective and too quick to judge, Julie has the best intentions.

 

“- Right” Karolina calms herself, this wasn’t the time to be angry, she doesn’t have the moral high ground right now. “- Okay, I’m sorry I snapped at you, it’s just…”

 

Ever the understanding girlfriend Julie reaches for her hand “- I get it, it’s difficult, you care for your friends and I know you’re very protective” Fuck, how can Karolina tell her she cheated now? “- Everything will be better once you all move”

 

“- You still didn’t ask them nor have let them know about this” Karolina reproaches her.

 

“- I was going to yesterday, but you know, we were interrupted, besides, it’s a no brainer, I mean, you see how they live”

 

“- What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“- C’mon K, they’re living in a cave! In charge of two minors, and a head! And look, I have nothing but sympathy for Nico, but you saw her yesterday, she froze in the middle of a fight, she clearly needs professional help. Moving will help everyone, I know you have a big heart but you can finally stop beating yourself up taking care of them.”

 

“- Julie I’m not taking care of them, I’m one of them”

 

“- Oh please, you’re nothing like them…”

 

“- What did you just say?”

 

“- That came out wrong…”

 

“- No no no, speak your mind, you think I’m somehow better than them?”

 

“- You know what, you’re upset and have been setting me up this entire time for no reason, you want the truth? Fine, I think you’re in a whole other level than them, and before you start giving me shit, that’s not their fault, none of you have had training of any kind, but plenty of heroes haven’t either, you all could be great and you’re wasting your potential!”

 

Potential, greatness, Karolina heard something very similar years ago. Ideals her parents committed to once, that twisted their minds, got innocent people killed, it seems there’s no end to it, it always comes back at her. All the anger Karolina felt is replaced, now there’s only hollowness and she needs to end this.

 

Julie can see she fucked up, the one thing that Karolina will never tolerate is being treated like she’s something to be improved, like she’s not a person. “- Karolina, I’m sorry, I didn’t…” she wants to explain herself, but Karolina stops her.

 

“- I wanted to see you today because I wronged you and I need to come clean, and I’m glad you’re being honest too” Karolina says with no emotion in her words “- I cheated on you, and I don’t know why I did it, you’re everything anyone could hope for in a girlfriend and you deserve better, I’m sorry for hurting you. I don’t know if our relationship can be salvaged or even if there’s anything left to salvage” The color in Julie's face is gone. “- If you want to talk about this or never talk to me again I’ll understand either way”

 

“- I’ll get the check” Karolina says getting up from the table. Julie doesn’t follow her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the truth is out in the open and Karolina will face the consequences. 
> 
> I struggle with the last part, my intention was making Karolina kind of in the wrong up to certain point.
> 
> Couple of notes, The Franklin and Valeria Julie mentions are Franklin and Valeria Richards, the children of Sue Storm and Reed Richards from the Fantastic Four. Franklin was Julie's teammate in Power Pack, hence, the friendship between them
> 
> The Future foundation is (or was, who knows this days) an organization that the remaining Fantastic Four founded after the death of the Human Torch, don't worry, he's better now.  
> Ok, so, Julie is out of the picture (is she?) what will it mean for Karrie and Nico? That and more in the next chapter!


	8. Mistakes to be made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trhuth is out in the open. Karolina has a decision to make and so does Nico.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! and more importantly so is Spaces in between! I'm sorry I updated a couple of days later than usual, I was on vacation! It was cool but I missed writing this fic, can you believe it? So, this chapter has a lot reflection and dialogue, not the most intense one but it will wrap some things up.

College can kick your ass, there are times when the work load is simply ridiculous and you’ll need days of 26 hours if you want to have it all done and, on top of that, find some time to eat or sleep. For once, Karolina is content to be saturated, after her classes ended for the day she went straight to her room to work on some projects, writing papers and catch on some readings, all of which she had neglected a little bit with everything going on in her life.

Being this busy means she doesn’t have time to think about Julie. Not much.

After their argument and break up (she thinks that’s what it was) she hasn’t heard anything from Julie, not a visit or call or a text, just silence. Karolina isn’t sure if she expected that, she hoped to, at least, an amicable break up, this was nothing like that, and she’s second guessing herself like crazy. Didi she really wanted to end things with Julie? Was it the right thing to do? Now what, switch from Julie to Nico like she just changed clothes?

Too many questions and she can’t answer a single one. She gets startled when the door opens.

“- Hi Karo! Her roommate, Steph, greets her.

“- Hey” 

Karolina’s tone must’ve been icy cold because Steph gives her a concerned look. “- Uh, bad day?” 

“- Julie and I had a fight” That’s one way to put it.

“- Oh god, I’m so sorry hon” Steph goes to Karolina and hugs her. “- Want to talk about it?”

Karolina do want to talk about it, up until that moment she didn’t allow herself to think about it.

“- I cheated on her… god, now that I say it out loud it sounds so stupid”

Steph says nothing, she just gives Karolina a soft smile, urging her to continue.

“- We already had our problems, living so far from each other didn’t help. And there’s a lot of things going on…” Steph just gives another look this one of disbelieve. Damn Steph and her impressive nonverbal communication.

“- Ok fine!... There’s someone else…”

“- Karo…” 

“- I know!” For the first time since all of this started Karolina is think about her actions.

“- Karo, I don’t think all this was because you wanted someone else”

Steph is right, sure, Nico came back to her life and a part of Karolina will always love her, but her issues with Julie came before that, but she can’t pin point the moment it began.

“- I went to see her to come clean, and we started arguing” 

“- Okay, what were you arguing about?”

“- She wants me to move to New York, and she already made plans for my friends to move too”

“- Alright” Steph says “- Apart from the fact she didn’t considered me, that seems… “

“- Incredible on her part?” Yeah, Karolina knows how great Julie is, going the extra mile to accommodate her friends. Why that upset her so much?

“- I was gonna say excessive” Karolina gives her a weird look. “- I mean, she didn’t’ give you much of a choice, right?”

It was true, Karolina haven’t thought of that.

“- She didn’t bother to ask my friends, you know, that’s what pissed me off the most, but yeah, you’re right”

“- Then what happened?

“- As I said, I got pissed and then told her I cheated on her and I understand if she didn’t want to talk to me again, and I left.”

“- She hasn’t called?” 

“- No… I guess that’s that then, we broke up.” Saying it aloud was weird, a mix of sorrow and relief and resignation.

“- Okay, just, you can talk to me if need to, you know?” Steph gives her another hug “- I was going to the library but if you need me to stay…”

“- It’s fine, don’t worry”

After her roommate left, Karolina resumed her reading, but now that she talked about it she couldn’t help but wondering what would happen out of this situation, she was so lost in thought than when her phone ringed she did jump. It was Julie.  
“- Hey” Her tone sounds meek.

“- Hey” Julie answers in turn “- Can we talk? face to face I mean”

“- Sure”

They agree to meet in a park nearby campus half an hour later. Karolina arrived in twenty out of sheer nervousness. Julie was already there.

“- Hey” Karolina says waving at her, feeling more than a little silly parroting her greeting from a few minutes before.

“- Hey” Julie looks… bad, it’s clear she’s been crying, but that’s not all, there’s something lacking in her and Karolina can’t quite piece it together.

They stay silent for several moments, Karolina is fidgeting and is getting anxious, Julie avoids her gaze.

“- I don’t blame you, you know? Julie finally breaks the silence, but still can’t look Karolina in the eye. “- I’m mad as hell at you but I understand, we’ve been drifting apart and I neglected you.”

“- Julie…” 

“-Let me finish, it’s been rough, not having you around as much, and I admit, you, getting your team back, well, it made me feel like I was losing you, and I get that you have needs and I’m not here met them.

“- Julie, that’s… that’s not it, yes we were growing apart, true, but it has little to do with distance, and… listen, I didn’t cheat out of lust.” Not entirely at least, Karolina has been lusting for Nico for years after all.

Julie finally meets Karolina’s gaze at a sudden realization.

“- It was Nico, right?” Julie ask knowing the answer beforehand.

“- Yes.”

“- I get it, I do, you have a crush on her since forever, and she was available, and she was a freaking Avenger…” 

“- Wait, no Julie, stop it, this has even less to do with Nico”

“- The hell it does”

“- I’m serious, this is about us” Here it comes. “I’ve been thinking about how you want me in New York and all the things you said about starting training and, I guess I saw this coming a long way back… Julie, I can’t be the person you want me to be.

“- Karolina… what?...”

“- I can’t be a hero”

“- What are you talking about? You’re powerful and skilled and you already have plenty of experience.”

“- See? That’s the thing, being a hero is everything to you, but it’s not for me.”

“- I…” Julie try to find her voice but it’s caught in her throat, her distress is evident, so Karolina offers a way out.

“- I would never try to change that in you, I love that you’re so passionate about it, but it’s your dream, not mine.”

“- You never told me that… I would never force my dream on you…” Julie wipes away the tears running down her cheeks in an effort to conceal them, it’s no use. “- So, that’s it? You’re breaking up with me?”

What an excellent question, is that what Karolina wants? What does she really want? It’s one thing to fantasize about leaving all behind and running away with Nico, but ending a relationship with a great girl to do so is very different. There’s a part of her that only wants to go back in time and prevent all of this from happening, her life wasn’t perfect but she was fine.

“- I don’t know” It’s all Karolina can say.

Julie refocus, it’s not like her to going down without a fight, she faced Sabretooth when she was like twelve and lived to tell the tale goddammit! “- You told me, that you didn’t know if our relationship could be salvaged, well, I do think it can be, it’s worth fighting for, you’re worth fighting for” She closes the distance to Karolina, taking her hands. “- It’s gonna be hard, and I haven’t forgiven you yet, but we can make this work again, this time for the both of us” Julie’s intensity makes Karolina’s eyes water. “- Do you still love me?”

“- I do” Karolina doesn’t have to think twice, she does love Julie.

“- I love you too” Julie wipes a tear from Karolina’s face, seeking her full attention. “- I’m going back home tomorrow, and we still have a lot to talk about, but I still want to try. Maybe come to the airport to say goodbye, if you’re interested?” 

“- I will” Karolina responds.  
-

Routine is one hell of a drug, once you stablish one is really hard to let go of it. It’s insidious and it’s not pleasant, but the human mind takes comfort in knowing, so, having the rest of your day or week without any surprises has a weird appeal. Nico understand the dull comfort of routine perfectly.

The past couple of weeks have been hectic, so many changes in so little time; before the Doombot attack, Nico had an outlined routine: getting up early weirded out by her even more weird staff trying to get inside her body, making a light breakfast for her an pack Molly’s lunch, then, after Chase takes her to school and himself to work, Nico leaves the Hostel to another set of rejections from yet another set of jobs; return in the afternoon feeling miserable and sooth the self-loathing hanging out with her friends.

Now, the day after the Doombot, she falls immediately in the same pattern, this time welcoming the familiar feeling of it all. 

She returns at the Hostel late afternoon with, you guessed it, another collection of job rejections, to find Chase already at home, the image before her is something pulled out of some cheesy old movie about mad scientist or something, but for her is just a Thursday. Chase is working on a robot body, not too dissimilar to a terminatior or something, with Victor’s head attached to it, the both of them chatting amicably in the middle of the living room.

“- Uhmm, what are you guys doing?” The best way to deal with this stuff is just go along with it.

“- I’m just reusing the Doombot scrap to help Victor” Chase smiles at her then resumes his work, wiring something in the torso.

“- And you’re okay with that Vic?”

“- Yeah, I was getting tired of only hitting the B button every time we played”

“- The only real problem” Chase interjects “- is the power source, this body has none, so I assume the bomb was actually the power source rigged to detonate, and we don’t have anything resembling a high power battery or something, so I’m wiring Vic to the electrical grid, he’ll be able to move freely as long as his power cord is connected”

“- Clever” Nico leaves her handbag in the sofa and sits, her feet are killing her, heels are fine and all but going from interview to interview in them is a pain. “- Where’s everyone?”

“Molly’s doing homework and Gert is reading in her room” A weird rotating sound comes out of the robot body after Chase finishes his wiring. “- Okay, Vic, try to move a little”

While the boys try Victor’s new body, Nico pulls out her phone and texts Karolina, she wants to talk to her but not while Julie is visiting, so, next best thing is just texting. She already texted her a couple of times during the day asking how she was, if Julie was alright and if she needed something, but so far, Karolina hasn’t texted back. She tries once more.

“So, apparently, we have our own terminator, you should see Vic’s new body!” Just for good measure she sends a pic of Chase and Victor posing with their thumbs up and shit eating grins. “Wanna see a movie this weekend?” That las part is just her excuse to see Karolina, with every day that passes is becoming more and more important to Nico to spend time with her. Nico knows why, but doesn’t want to name it.

They stay in the living room, chatting, making lame jokes for a while until the doorbell rings. Which is not incredibly strange, either they’re getting another package sent by Stark Industries with Victor’s belongings or a brochure about some program or scholarship or something, or, for Nico’s eternal delight, Karolina is dropping by again. 

That’s why, when Nico rushed to the blast door (a lot more excitedly that she’ll ever admit) is completely caught off guard. 

“- Hi Nico, may I come in?” Julie Power is alone, in front of her, asking to enter her house, the rational part of Nico’s mind knows that is completely safe and normal to do so, she’s probably just checking in, the not so rational part on the other hand is freaking the fuck out. “Why is Julie here? Why Karolina isn’t with her” “Oh god, she knows, she knows I kissed her girlfriend and came here to kill me”

“- Sure, come on in, sorry for the mess” Nico plays the gracious host, for what it’s worth, her parents raised her kind of right.

“- Wow, you’re using the Doombot’s frame for Victor?” Julie points out when she and Nico reach the living room, Victor and Chase look like they were caught red handed building a weapon of mass destruction.

“- Ummm, hi Julie, uh, frame?” In an astonishing display of coolness Chase manages to at least spurt out some words. 

“- Yeah, frame, that’s the technical term for the inner skeleton, or so Valeria told me” After clarifying her obscure Doombot knowledge Julie sits on one couch. It doesn’t go unnoticed to Nico how Julie immediately and effortlessly owns the place, she has everyone’s attention and still hasn’t said anything important, it must come with being raised a hero from a very young age. Despite everything Nico can’t help but to admire her.

Ever the hero, Victor is the one who answers “- Well… I wanted to play videogames and, you know, have hands, so…” 

“- It’s actually very clever, and it’s part of why I came” 

Fear is starting to creep on Nico, Julie is here without Karolina and she’s talking about Doombots and… oh god, has something happened to Karrie?

“- Julie” Nico says getting paler by the second. “- Is Karolina alright?”

“- Oh!, sorry, yes of course, I see now how me being here without her looks. Don’t worry she’s fine” After the tension leaves Nico’s shoulders Julie continues. “- Are Gert and Molly around? This also concerns them”

“- I’ll go get them” Chase seizes the opportunity to leave the tense situation and goes to fetch Molly and Gert… and Old Lace just in case.

Rufus, the newest Runaway, comes out of nowhere and curls up in Julie’s lap. That traitor, Nico knew he was evil from the beginning.

“- Aww, what a handsome boy! You have a lovely kitty” Julie Says at Nico. 

“- Yeah, it’s actually Molly’s, he kind of adopted us, and he’s a telepath.” Now that Nico made eye contact with Julie she sees that something is off. Julie’s eyes are a little puffy and red, she clearly cried earlier in the day. And she’s wearing very plain clothes compared to what she wore yesterday, just jeans and a shirt with a leather jacket over, a stark contrast from her stylish persona. Nico is no fool, she was an Avenger dammit and she learned a thing or two from She Hulk. Julie is trying to look as non-threatening as possible, she’s about to ask for something. Incidentally, appearing non-threatening is also a good strategy to lower someone defenses before killing them.

Chase comes back bringing the rest of the gang with him, after the proper introductions, Julie is ready to speak.

“- Okay, listen, Karolina and I are in a rough patch, we both made mistakes and the ones I made I need to set them right. I came to L.A. to convince Karolina to move to New York with me”

Nico’s stomach twists and her blood runs cold at the prospect of Karrie being taken away from her. Which is unfair, Karolina isn’t hers, she doesn’t have the right to be jealous. 

“- And I knew she wouldn’t even consider moving without you guys, so I already asked my friends to register Gert and Molly’s names on a waiting list for the Future Foundation and asked around about a scholarship for Chase and Nico and for a new body for Victor. And everything was kind of approved, I even got housing that would allow Old Lace to stay in”

Everyone is silent, it clearly is a lot to take in. Now Julie understands Karolina a little better.

“- I get that I overstepped, I should have asked you if you even want this, I just… I just got really excited and I thought I was doing the right thing. I’m really sorry, I hope you can forgive me. And the offer stands, if you guys want to try it I’ll be happy to help.”  
Still no one is talking, they just look at Nico expecting her to say something. She just avoids their gaze. It’s Chase who finally breaks the silence.

“- Well, it’s a lot to process. Can we think about it?”

“- Yes, of course, take all the time you need. I’ll be going home tomorrow night but let me give you my number if you decide anything” She exchanges number with Chase and Nico before turning to the door. “- I need to leave, and again I’m so sorry, and for the record I think you guys have everything to be outstanding. Nico, can I have a word with you?”

Fuck.

Julie waits to be out of earshot before start speaking.

“- I know change can be difficult, and I’m not in the position to ask but please, at least consider the offer, it would mean a huge improvement to everyone’s lives”

“- Okay, but that’s their decision”

“- Yeah but everyone looks up to you, you’re their leader, please, consider what’s best for everyone.”

No wonder Karolina loves Julie, she truly is amazing, here she is, correcting her wrongs, offering a bunch of strangers the chance of a better life. Nico needs to repay in kind.

“- Julie, I…” Time to buckle up “- I kissed Karrie, recently, I’m so sorry, I’m stupid and I always do that kind of crap and…”

“- I know Nico, she told me” Does anything affect this girl? Julie appears to be made of steel, she can keep her cool even in these circumstances, she’s a hero after all. “- I don’t blame you, alright? I mean, I´m not exactly happy but I understand, you two have history together, and you’re tough to compete with, I get it.”

No way would Nico throw Karrie under the bus with this. “- You should blame me, I’m the one who kissed her, she was just stunned, I wasn’t thinking and I just fucked up a perfect relationship, I don’t deserve it, but please forgive me.”

“- Look, I just want to let all of this behind, Karolina and I will be alright, you’ll be alright, let’s just move on, okay?

“- Okay”

“- Great, I gotta go, think about what I said, oh! and if you want to say goodbye, my flight leaves at noon tomorrow.”  
“- Right, I will” Julie smiles at her flies away. One perk of having flying abilities is you don’t really need Lyft anymore.

Nico returns to the living room to find the Runaways in a shouting match.

“- I’m just saying we should consider it!” It’s a rare sight to see Chase so heated.

“- For fucks sake Chase!” On the other hand, Gert almost always argues like this.

“- Whoa, whoa, what’s happening?” Nico’s presence calms the situation a little, allowing the rest of the Runaways stop their yelling.

“- Chase is being an idiot! That’s what!” So much for Gert stop yelling.

“- I said it’s a good offer and we need to consider it, that’s it, what it’s with you?”

The shouting resumes at full force until Nico steps in the middle.

“- Okay, enough!!”

Silence at last.

“- Where are we standing with this?” Nico asks

“- Well, I don’t know what Julie can get us, but I can tell you already, it sure as hell beats working in a landfill” Chase crossed his arms finishing his point.

Gert was livid. “- It’s moronic, you want to do what? Be conscripted into who knows what? I’m done with people messing up with us, screw that”

For Molly the situation was simpler. “- But guys! Think about it, we could be heroes, we could all be Avengers! And we would have our lives fixed! No more hiding, no more running away! We could be a big family.”

“- Being an Avenger is not glamorous, Moll, fighting for your life is not exciting, having the fate of humanity on your shoulders can crush you.” Victor’s voice is sad and so quiet, yet everyone heard. “- That’s two against two, Nico, you have the deciding vote”

Damn it. 

“I’m not deciding anything; you guys can make up your own mind.” 

“- Nico, you have been on both sides, you have a broader view” Chase tells her. True, she has been an Avenger and a civilian and the she was nothing.

Nico’s first impulse is to reject the offer, but she has other people to look out for. Julie’s words stuck with her. She needs to do what’s best for everybody. The problem is, what is best for everybody?

“- I’m not deciding right now, we need to think this over, cool our heads, agreed?”

Reluctantly they agree. Well, the leader part was not an exaggeration.

Nico needs time, so, she calls it a day early and goes to bed… and she can’t sleep for the life of her. She needs to talk to Karrie but that’s not really an option after her little chat with Julie. Now Nico understands, Julie was indeed crying, no doubt about a fight with Karrie, furthermore, she knew about their kiss (hopefully Julie doesn’t know that Nico basically dry humped her girlfriend). 

Nico thinks of herself as a fuck up, no point to mince words, she has uncanny ability to ruin anything she touches, and she’s done it again, she ruined Karrie’s relationship, hurting an innocent girl in the process, and it’s most likely she didn’t make Karolina any favors too, she just made a big mess out of it.

And they expect her to decide on the life of her friends? She doesn’t want to become a hero or anything like that, she just wants to be left alone and live her meaningless life in peace. Why the hell is everyone placing so much responsibility on her? The best decision she can come up with is let everyone do whatever they want, Chase and Molly want to move to New York? Then they should go, Victor and Gert want to stay and live in the Hostel? Then let them. Ugh, why can’t they decide themselves? Nico knows why, they’re a family, and sometimes you have to make the tough choice if you want your family to thrive, is the same situation with Karolina, she wants Karrie to be happy? She needs to step aside. Now she has a plan.

-

Next morning is a blur, Nico clears her schedule, such as it was, and asks Chase to give her a ride to the airport before he goes to work. After checking all the flights to New York, and waiting a couple of hours, she spots Julie in a waiting area, Nico arrived early hoping to catch her alone. Of course, her plan goes to shit, next to Julie is Karolina.

-

Karolina has a plan, a well-established one, at least she thinks it is, after spent the whole night crying and barely slept at all she can’t be too sure about the validity of her plan.

The night before she mourned, for the loss of Julie and her relationship and all the times they were so happy together. Karolina would have loved to keep Julie, but what she asked of her was too much. And it only took one text from Nico to understand. Have you ever had that? That moment of clarity when the epiphany hits you so hard you physically recoil? For Karolina, that epiphany came in the form of a text. Just a picture of her friends and an invitation from Nico to the movies. That’s all it took for Karolina finally understand. She can’t be with Julie if she wants to be true to herself.

In the morning she called Julie and offered to take her to the airport, the arrived early, Karolina hoped to have a chance to talk with Julie before she left for New York.

“- So…” Julie says expecting Karolina to continue.

“- So…” Damn it! This is hard, Karolina has never ended a relationship before, how people do this without being a complete ass? 

“- Did you think about it?” Julie asks her. 

“- I can’t go with you, Julie”

“- What?... Why?” Julie deflates immediately but doesn’t lose composure.

“- Julie, I love you, and I always will…”

“- But”

“- But, we don’t have a functional relationship anymore and we deserve better” Karolina practiced this speech the whole morning. “- Do you remember what happened the last time we talked about our future, what we wanted to do, what our dream was?”

Julie nods, realization starts to dawn on her. “- We fought”

“- A lot! And we stayed clear of the topic ever since” Karolina takes Julie’s hands, one last time. “- Every time we saw each other after that has been the same, talk about any other thing, had sex, farewell, repeat”

“- I think I get it” Julie says.

“- We deserve a relationship that makes us excited about tomorrow, not dread it. We haven’t been honest to each other for months. We can’t live like this”

“- I get it” Julie locks her eyes with Karolina’s “- I came here thinking that, maybe if your friends came to New York you would too, maybe I could convince you… You’re right, we haven’t been honest, I was so mad that you couldn’t see things my way”

“- We need to follow our own way” Karolina begins to cry, Julie does too “You are such an amazing woman Julie, and I was so lucky to ever have the privilege to be with you.” 

They hug each other goodbye, something catches Karolina’s attention, a few feet away is Nico, that’s a surprise but it’s welcomed. Karolina waves at her urging her to get closer.

-

“Fuck, there’s Karolina, and Julie…” “Shit, they’re holding hands… and now they’re hugging, ok, I just need to turn around and leave, I can this over the phone, no problem”

Life is a bitch sometimes, Karolina notices her and waves at her. “Crap, now I have to at least say goodbye… wait, were they crying? Shit, shit, shit.

“- Hey” Nico waves at them, Gert was right, it’s kind of eerie how similar they look. “- I didn’t want to interrupt”

“- It’s okay Nico, we were just saying goodbye” Karolina reassures her.

“- What you guys decided?” Julie asks, Karolina gives her a skeptical look. “- I went to the Hostel to apologize for sign them up to stuff without consulting them first, and to offer any help I can give” She explains to Karolina, her, now, ex-girlfriend.

“- Okay” Nico continues. “- That is why I’m here, I wanted to say goodbye too and maybe talk with you, but it can wait, I’ll just call you later” The first part of Nico’s plan was to talk to Julie into forgiving Karolina but with Karrie here, that’s not the best idea. 

“- Got it, okay, I have to check my luggage and go to boarding, so this is goodbye. Nico, could you give us a moment.” 

“- Sure, bye Julie” Nico goes a few feet away to give them some privacy. With Karolina here, there’s one more thing to do, she just didn’t want to do it now.

-

“- So, this is goodbye” Julie says while placing a hand on Karolina’s arm.

“- It is, I wish you nothing but happiness Julie, I’ll be rooting for you”

“- Thanks, you’ll always be amazing K”

With that they depart, and Karolina can’t help it, her eyes water at the sight of the woman she loved so much going away.

A few moments later Nico is at her side, staring at her worriedly.

“- Are you okay, Karrie?”

“- Yeah, just emotional, we broke up” 

“- What!? Why!? Was it because… of what happened?...” Nico can’t bring herself to say it, did the broke up because of her?

“- Partially, I told her, you know, but It’s okay, it was mutual, I’ll tell you later” Karolina gives Nico a sad smile.

“- No, wait, no, you have to undo this, go after her or something!”

“- Nico...”

“- That’s the other thing I had to do today! She came to the Hostel in the afternoon and she offered to help us and then she told me you told her and…” Nico is fully rambling now and Karolina can barely make sense of what she’s saying, she places a hand on Nico’s shoulder to calm her down a bit.

“- Slow down Nico, please”

“- Right, Julie went to the Hostel yesterday and told us about how she already made plans for all of us to move to New York, and that you two fought about it, she wanted to make amends and wanted to know what we wanted”

“- Okay” That was typical of Julie, always the hero, she could never let go on some mistake.

“- And then she told me that you told her about… us… and god, Karrie, I have to make this right!”

“- Where are you going with this?”

“- I need to be responsible for my actions” Nico had planned this, but she hadn’t expected Karrie being in the airport, the second part of her plan was looking out for Karolina in the only way she can, she was going to break her own heart. 

“- Karrie, I love you, I’ve loved you for years and I’m sorry I was so stupid to never acted on it, I get that I’m a little too late.” Nico steps a little closer. “- And look at what I have done, I barged into your life again and fucked things up, again. I ruined your relationship with Julie, I’m making you fight Doombots, I’m putting your life in danger just because I’m selfish, I missed you so much and I wanted you back in my life and I’m destroying yours.

“- Nico, what?...”

“- Karrie, I can’t do that to you, I love you, and I can’t do that to the people I love, you deserve a better life, a safe life, you deserve a real family, and a real relationship, not whatever I’m giving you, I… I need to let go, I… I will leave you alone now, I’m stepping aside, I swear I will never bother you again, and if you don’t wanna be friends anymore I’ll understand, just please, keep in touch with the rest of the guys, they’ve really missed you.”

That was it, her final statement, if Nico needs to break her own heart to save Karrie, she will do it again a thousand times. Karrie is just looking at her, dumbfounded no doubt. Maybe Karrie would plead to not leave her, maybe she’ll try reasoning, but there’s no use, Nico has made her mind, no matter what Karolina says Nico would be out of her life.

“-… Oh, go fuck yourself, Nico!”

That was unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys liked the cliffhanger?! Hope so.
> 
> Ok, Julie is out of the picture, what will the Runaways decide? will they split up? stay together? something in between?
> 
> And of course, what does Karolina have to say about Nico's decision to stay away from her life? Also, not cool Nico, not the best moment to say I love you! All that and more in the next chapter.


	9. Aftercare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it, Nico and Karolina will face their feelings for each other!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so,so sorry for the delay, this took a lot more time than I thought but I think it's worth it.
> 
> Fair warning... there's smut in here!!!!!!

“… Oh, go fuck yourself, Nico!”

 

Karolina is already having a complicated day, she barely slept, had a lousy breakfast (a granola bar and coffee is not a great option) she just broke up with her girlfriend, she’s tired and has a headache, and she is late in one assignment and had to skip class… and Nico comes up with this.

 

“- What?...” Nico expected some reaction from Karolina, but nothing like this.

 

“- You heard me, fuck you and your pedantic crap”

 

“- Karrie… I get that you’re mad…”

 

“- I’m not mad, I’m fucking furious! You tell me you love me and then you just spurt your “I’m leaving you alone because I care” bullshit, fuck that!”

 

“- But it’s true, Karrie, you deserve better, I’m doing this for you”

 

“- No, let’s be clear, you’re shutting me off from your life because you want to not because you’re doing something noble or anything”

 

Nico averts her eyes towards the floor and starts feeling like a scold child. She Played several scenarios in her mind but an angry Karolina it was certainly not one of them.

 

“- Nico” Karolina pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration, this day is already long and it’s just barely starting. “- What’s this all about? We were fine just yesterday, what happened?”

 

“- Well, Like I said Julie came to the Hostel, and she talked to us, she apologized and offered a place in New York for everyone but only if we wanted to, and, look, the guys are pretty divided about it, Molly and Chase would probably go, Vic and Gert not so much. Julie talked to me in private, she said they  would follow my lead and made me realize that I’m holding you all back”

 

“- For fucks sake Nico…” Karolina’s day was getting more frustrating with every word from Nico.

 

“- Look, Molly and Chase deserve to have the choice to do with their lives whatever they want without me weight them down, and honestly? So do you, I’ve done nothing but screw you over.”

 

“- Just when I thought you could not be any more dense, you come up with this self-righteous bullshit” Nico had her chance to talk now it was Karolina’s time. “- You say you want to give the guys a choice? Then stay with them, don’t forcefully remove yourself from their lives, and let them choose.”

“- Uhm…” Nico wanted to interject but Karolina cuts her short,

 

“- And you know what? You want to give me a choice? Fine, then let me know you are an option, you said you love me, okay, put yourself out there, did it ever occurred to you that maybe I want to be with you, that I love you too?”

 

It seems weird now, but Nico actually didn’t consider a relationship with Karolina a real possibility, up to this point she thought that, like everything else in her life, it was destined to failure… ok, maybe she starts to see a pattern there. “- But I meddle with you and Julie…”

 

“- Oh my god, you self-centered ass! Not everything revolves around you, Julie and I already had our problems, our relationship was already ending”

 

“- But… “

 

“- Are you gonna argue with me about this? Seriously?! Damnit Nico, you and your freaking hero complex… You and Julie have a lot in common, maybe you two should date instead!”

 

Nico wants to say something, at least to save face but even she is questioning her own plan, so far nothing has gone as she expected, maybe she’s not the strategic mastermind she thought she was.

 

“- What was your plan here, really?” Karolina is nowhere near done with Nico. “- After your big speech about not holding us back, what, you were just run away to the sunset?”

 

“- Uhm…” Nico is wondering how to say yes to that without being exposed as a complete twat.

 

“- Was that really your plan?!”

 

“- N…No…”

 

“- You’re fucking unbelievable sometimes, I’m leaving, come find me when you grow up!” Karolina pulls out her sunglasses and stomps toward the exit, she had enough of this.

 

Nico is left standing in the middle of the airport, she just now realized they were making a scene and people were staring, hard. Well, this went disastrously bad, she needs to go home.

 

“- Shit” Nico left her money at the Chase’s van. No cab or bus to take her home

 

“- Oh shit” She left phone too. That means no Lyft to take her home.

 

Nico definitely is not the strategic mastermind she thought she was.

 

-

 

After a couple of hours of walking (and considering use the Staff of One) Nico finally arrives at the hostel, she’s hungry and thirsty and sweaty, she wants nothing but rest, she´s surprised to find Chase in the kitchen making himself a grilled cheese sandwich.

 

“- Please tell me you didn’t get fired, the day is shitty as it is already”

 

“- Hey Nico, no, I covered a couple of double shifts and I got off early today” Chase says between bites. “- I take it things didn’t go well with Julie?”

 

“- What gave it away?” Nico grabs a glass and pours herself some water, its lukewarm but it tastes like heaven to her.

 

“- Well, you look like a heat stroked rat, but I assume that’s just the weather, it was your ever more present scowl that tipped me off”

 

“- Yeah well, nothing has turned out right today”

 

“- Want to talk about it over a grilled cheese?”

 

“- I will love you forever, just let me change into some less sweat covered clothes”

 

Nico goes to her room and grabs some sweat pants and a simple black t-shirt, when she returns to the kitchen there’s a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches on the pan and some fresh coffee, she grabs some plates and two mugs, Chase serves and they sit in the kitchen’s bar. Before start talking, Nico eats half a sandwich, and if lukewarm water tasted like heaven this is sweet ambrosia. Since that day at Molly’s grandma house Chase acquired quite the taste for grilled cheese, he swore he would learn to make the perfect sandwich, and he delivered, his sandwiches are almost up to par with Dr. Hayes’s, he still has a long way to go with his tomato soup though.

 

“- Chase, be honest” Nico begins “- Do you want to take Julie’s offer? Move to New York?”

 

“- Yeah, I think it would do us good”

 

Doubt and fear creeps in Nico’s mind, she asks her next question with a knot in her stomach. “- If I decided not to move, would you still go?”

 

Chase takes a sip of his coffee and takes only a moment to consider. “- No, I wouldn’t”

 

Damn, Nico is really holding her friends back, she was right, the best for them is for her to leave them alone, Nico lowers her head and is about to go upstairs to pack her things until Chase continues.

 

“- But I also wouldn’t go if Gert doesn’t go, or if Victor doesn’t go, and since they already made their minds, then I’m staying.”

“- Don’t you feel like we’re holding you back? I mean, look at us we’re not exactly in an ideal situation, you could just go and do great in New York”

 

“- What’s this all about Nico, what did Julie tell you?”

 

“- Yesterday, before she left, she told me that I needed to do what’s best form you guys, and today, well, I went to the airport to give your and Molly’s contact info, I told her that she should contact you directly”

 

“- Okay, kinda nice of you, I guess” Chase resumes eating, and waits for Nico to elaborate further, when she doesn’t he asks her “- So, why were you so worked up?”

 

“- You promise you won’t get mad?” Nico really doesn’t want another earful this time from Chase.

 

“- I promise that if I get mad I won’t yell at you”

 

“- Fair enough, alright, so… you may not have noticed but Karolina and I kinda were having a thing…”

 

“- You were dry humping in your apartment the time we rescued Molly and Gert and spend the night together a couple of days ago, yes, I’m aware.”

 

Sometimes is easy to forget how observant Chase is, his Californian dopey demeanor gives the wrong impression, Nico thinks he do it on purpose.

 

“- Uhhhh… yeah, okay, ehem, I felt incredibly guilty because I was ruining her relationship with Julie, and I was planning to, after seeing Julie goodbye, go to Karolina’s and end things for good and then come back here and maybe left? Because I want you guys to be okay and I thought that I was getting in the way of all of you… and you’re getting mad”

 

Chase may be more intelligent than people give him credit for but he’s not the best at hiding emotions, if looks could kill Nico would be long gone by now.

 

“- I am, extremely, but I’m not yelling at you, so, please continue”

 

“- Okay… Karolina was in the airport saying goodbye to Julie when I got there, they broke up apparently, I panicked a little and told her that I thought she should be with Julie and that I was leaving her alone from now on… she was pissed”

 

“- No kidding, what did she say?”

 

“- That I was taking away her choice, that if I wanted to let her choose I needed to be an option, she left after that.”

 

“- Wow, you’re a moron, dude” Chase tells her, taking another bite of his sandwich, he’s very amused with this.

 

“- You tell me”

 

“- Well, don’t sweat it, literally, you reek” Nico flips him off at this. “- She cares about you, you just tried her patience, let her cool off and talk to her, by the way, why are you sweaty?”

 

“- I forgot my money and phone in your van”

 

“- You really are a moron!”

 

-

 

Therapy days tend to be good days for Karolina, therapy itself it’s hard, sometimes she leaves Dr. Mendez office with eyes red and puffy, but she’s left with the feeling that she accomplished something, that she took another step forward (or sideways or maybe backwards but is still good, therapy is weird) that she is healing.

 

Today, however, Karolina feels trapped and angry, her morning had been intense, her break up with Julie unsettled her already, and then Nico pissed her off beyond believe. She pushed through her classes without much problem, maybe she yelled a couple classmates here or there, her anger pent up all day and now she’s siting in her therapist office with the mental equivalent of a lock down, not knowing where to begin.

 

“- Karolina, I always encourage my patients to make the session their own, but it could be beneficial for you to talk”

 

They have been like this for twenty minutes, Karolina entered the office and declared that she needed a little time to gather thoughts, mostly she just stared angrily at the window.

 

“- I’m… angry” She says.

 

“- I can see that” Dr. Mendez puts down her pad to pay her full attention to Karolina. “- Do you want to talk about why?”

 

“- I do… I just don’t know exactly why I’m angry”

 

“- Why don’t you tell me what has happened since our las session?”

 

Karolina does, she talks about their encounter with the Doombot and her apprehensions towards Julie, getting more agitated with each second, when she reaches the events of that morning she stops to recompose herself.

 

“- I broke up with Julie today”

 

Karolina doesn’t keep talking, Dr. Mendez urges her to do so.

 

“- I haven’t fully processed that yet, or I did, I don’t know, maybe I saw that coming a while back and already came in terms with it” Karolina stands up from the patients couch and starts pacing around the office, she couldn’t stand still even if her life depended on it “- And I feel like shit because I’m not upset, well, I’m sad of course, but, I ended the first serious, committed,  loving relationship I ever had, I hurt Julie, deeply, and all I can think about is Nico” There, she said it, she didn’t want to admit that she’s a cold horrible person for not feel sad enough for breaking the heart of a wonderful girl just because Nico made her mad.

 

“- I think that processing your emotions is the healthy thing to do right now Karolina” Dr. Mendez says “- Go home, take a bath, watch a movie, do your homework, let yourself feel but don’t force it, these things need to run its course. Do you want to talk about Nico?”

 

“- I guess” Karolina cross her arms like the prospect of talking about Nico is a chore to be dealt with.

 

“- You said you are mad at her, why?”

 

“- She said she loves me, and for a moment I was thrilled, I got really excited at start something with her, and then she starts saying her martyr shit about how she doesn’t want to hurt me so she will be out of my life” Karolina flops back down on the sofa feeling defeated for some reason. “- Why can’t she just be upfront and saying to my face that she wants me or not.”

 

“- It would be better if when you talk to her you cooled off a little, go home, and try to vent Karolina, don’t swallow this up”

 

“- Right, can we go to do some mindfulness exercises, please?” The rest of the session goes normally, Karolina feels a bit better afterwards and decide that Dr. Mendez is right, she wants to go home, and do homework and watch a movie later, she hos n her car and half an hour later she surprises herself when she realizes that she was headed to the Hostel instead to her dorm near campus, now she knows what place (and what person) she considers home.

 

-

 

Nico has learned to be patient. Not many things go right in her life so she’s used to suck it up and wait for things to unfold the way she needs it. Slowly, painfully, she got to a point where she can keep herself calm in such situations. Nico is not calm right now, at all.

 

It’s been three days since Karolina yelled at her. Nico texted one day before, asking if they could talk, there was no response, she called a couple times the day later, still no response.  Now it’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon, all her friends are outside the hostel in an impromptu picnic enjoying the solitude of California hills. It’s a beautiful setting, enough to raise anyone’s spirits, except Nico’s. She’s just sitting alone obsessing over her phone, the damn thing has been silent since Friday. Nico can’t take this anymore, she suspects the worst happened, she goes where her friends are all playing frisbee, panic already raising within her.

 

“- Guys! Guys! I think Karolina left for New York!” Nico tells them.

 

“- What!” “- What did she tell you?” “- She didn’t even said goodbye!” “- This is your fault Nico!”

 

“- Wait, everyone, Nico, did she tell you anything?” Chase calms the rest of the guys.

 

“- N… No, but she hasn’t visit and she’s not responding my texts or my calls”

 

Everyone looks uncomfortable

 

“- Nico, can I talk to you for a second?” Chase doesn’t wait for a response, he just takes Nico a few feet away. “- Alright, look, Karolina is fine and she’s still here, okay?”

 

“- How do you know?”

 

“- She’s talking to us just fine, Gert invited her for the picnic but she couldn’t come, homework and whatnot”

 

“- Then why she…”

 

“- Don’t freak out but she’s kind of avoiding you”

 

“- B… But” That kind of makes sense, their last interaction was heated and both Nico and Karolina needed time to cool off. “- I guess I get it, I think I need to go see her.”

 

“- Maybe, want me to give you a ride? Chase offers.

 

“- No, I’ll get there myself, you enjoy the day.”

 

-

 

Getting to campus was easy, but Nico nervousness was growing with every minute, it was clear she doesn’t always think things through, maybe she’s rushing things again, what if Karolina was still mad? What if she doesn’t want to see Nico right now? What if she doesn’t want to see her ever again?

 

When Nico arrives to Karolina’s dorm she just stands on the hallway unable to knock on the door, maybe this definitely was a bad idea and Karolina needed more time, and Nico should think in how to apologize properly. The logic part of her brain is telling her to turn around but it seems her body has a mind of its own because she knocks already.

 

After a couple of anxiety riddled seconds, a tall brunet opens the door.

 

“- Uhm, hi, I’m Nico, Karolina’s friend, is she here?

 

“- Hi Nico, I’m Steph, Karo’s roommate” Steph throws a glance inside the room to Karolina’s desk, she’s frantically shaking her head at Steph, silently telling her that no, she’s not here. “- Uhmmm, sure, she is here, come on in”.

 

Nico is inside the room in a moment but Karolina barely acknowledges her. “- I’m gonna fuck off somewhere and give you guys a little privacy, it was awkward to meet you Nico”.

 

“- Likewise” Nico responds and Steph is out of the room as fast as she can walk. Nico stands in the middle of the room while Karolina is still seating at her desk, she turns her chair to face Nico but doesn’t speak. “- Your roommate seems cool”.

 

“- What do you want, Nico?” 

 

Damn it, Karolina is still mad, she looks calmer but Nico can almost feel how angry she is, yeah, this is going to be bad.

 

“- To apologize, I was being an ass to you, to everyone really, it was selfish of me to want to leave. You were completely right, I was forcing my will onto others. I’m going to do better. I’m sorry.”

 

Silence again, Karolina is just staring at Nico.

 

“- Apology accepted” Karolina says turning her chair towards her desk. “- Is that all?”

 

Maybe it’s better to leave it like this for now, Nico is about exit the room. She doesn’t.

 

“- No”

 

That catches Karolina’s attention, she turns her chair once more.

 

“- I love you Karrie. And I’m sorry I didn’t see it clearly before, I wish it was otherwise but it’s not.”

 

“- Do you know why I got so mad?” Karolina doesn’t wait for a response. “- I was always the one who put her heart on the line for both of us, I was the one who got rejected, I was the one who had to move on. When you told me you were gonna be out of my life I felt like I was the one who had to do all the work again, that you didn’t learned anything.”

 

“- I understand, again, I’m sorry.”

 

“- Alright, what would have happened if I told you I don’t love you that way or that I don’t want to be with you? I mean, would you just runaway again?

 

“- No, I would stay either way, if you don’t want to be with me, then I’ll have to move on, but, Karrie, if you say you want me out of your life then I’ll leave, if not, I would love to be a part of your life in any way you let me.”

 

Again, silence, but not as tense as before, Karolina’s demeanor is clearly more relaxed, like she’s deep in thought. “- Okay” She finally says “Are you done?”

 

Nico nods “- Yes”

 

“- Good, because I’m about to jump your bones and I want to know if you’re down with this”

 

“- Okay” Is all Nico manages to say.

 

“- Great” Karolina gets up from the chair and rushes to Nico, taking her face between her hands and kisses her, hard.

 

This kiss is nothing like the ones they had before, it’s intense but it also seeks permission, searching some sort of doubt in how Nico responds. When Karolina can’t find anything she breaks the kiss, still holding Nico’s face.

 

“- I want you, now, if you don’t wanna do this I can wait.” Karolina tells her.

 

“- I want it, I want you”

 

Nico doesn’t waste any more time, both of them have waited long enough. Nico resumes kissing Karolina, giving her all, in no time she uses her tongue, teasing Karolina, asking for entrance, Karolina not only allows it, she ups it up to eleven.

 

“- God, Nico” she says between breaths, still kissing her. “- I want” another kiss “- to feel you”

 

Karolina’s hands travel to Nico’s midriff, taking the hem of her shirt. “- Can I take it off?” Karolina asks.

 

Fortunately for Nico she decided to dress rather simple today, just a pair of black pants, low rise shoes and a shirt over a brallete; she takes off her shirt and throws herself at Karolina’s lips again.

 

Karolina leads Nico to her bed, kissing her all the way, when they reach the edge Karolina pushes Nico onto it. Nico immediately loses her shoes, and unbutton her pants. Karolina peels he shirt and shorts in record time, hoping into bed with Nico, hovering over her, planting kisses wherever she can.

 

“- Nico” Karolina kisses her neck, making Nico moan, god, that sound is the sweetest she ever heard. “- Are you” another kiss, this landed on Nico’s jaw. “- sure, you” Nico bites playfully at her lips. “- want to do this?”

 

“- I’ve never been more sure of anything” To prove her point Nico takes off her bralette and underwear. It’s weird how life work sometimes, just a couple weeks ago Karolina fantasized about this, having Nico on her bed, wearing nothing, and she’s so gorgeous. Karolina doesn’t’ mean to stare but she can’t help it, Nico’s nipples are pierced and Karolina has a certain… taste for such things. Nico notices the look on her face.

 

“- You like them?” Karolina nods like she was shell shocked, Nico giggles at her reaction. “- It’s true what they say, you know? They do get more sensitive after they’re pierced”. Karolina leans for another kiss but Nico stops her. “- Take off your clothes, Karrie”

 

Karolina smiles at her and takes off her underwear, she wasn’t wearing a bra to begin with (what kind of barbarian wears a bra on a Sunday at home?)  so one thing less to worry about.

 

“- Wait, Karrie, I want to see you completely naked” Nico stops again much to Karolina’s frustration.

 

“- Uhmm, I am naked” Karolina is really confused, and a little worried, did she just melt Nico’s brain? Nico smiles biting her lower lip (Karolina almost passes out right then) and gestures toward Karolina’s suppressor bracelet. “- Oh” Karolina is surprised, she hasn’t take it off in days.

 

“- May I?” Nico says.

 

“- Go ahead” Karolina’s heartbeat rises like crazy, there’s something way more intimate in revealing her true self.

 

Nico unclasps the bracelet and throws it aside; kaleidoscope lights floods the room. You can guess Karolina’s mood easily when she is in her Majesdane form, the color of her lights changes depending on mood and physical state, it’s shades of red when she’s stressed or in pain, bright orange when she’s exhausted, blue and white when she’s calm. Right now, she’s aroused, a little nervous and excited, happy, it’s a myriad of colors, you can see the whole spectrum of the rainbow plastered over Karolina’s chiseled physique.

 

“- You’re the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen” Nico is in awe, she can’t stop herself of saying it, this is it for her, Karolina has broken her, it will be impossible to be attracted to another person again after seeing the goddess that is on top of her.

 

“- I love you” Karolina smiles at Nico.

 

“- I love you too” Nico responds her, it’s beginning to dawn on her that this is her new reality, one where she loves the girl of her dreams and she’s loved back. “- Now, please Karrie, just… fuck me, hard”

 

Maybe it was the lewdness or the suggestive and pleading tone of Nico, whatever the case Karolina was eager to comply. “- Let me take care of you” Karolina gives a passionate but quick kiss to Nico, going down to her jaw, neck, collarbone.

 

“- God, Karrie… please…” Whatever Nico was going to say it got cut short when Karolina reaches her breasts; kissing, biting (lightly, again, she’s no barbarian) and tugging at her piercings. It’s good, but she needs more. “- Harder…!

 

“- Uh?”

 

“- Harder Karrie!”

 

Karolina tugs at her piercings firmer, enough to make Nico moan. Karolina could get used to that sound, in fact, she already wants to hear it every day.

 

Nico can feel herself getting wet, more with very passing second, with every searing kiss and every agonizing touch. Still, not enough.

 

“- Please Karrie… I want you inside me…”

 

Karolina takes her hand down between Nico’s legs, fingers running up and down, barely grazing her soaked folds.

 

“- You’re so wet” Karolina is amazed at how Nico is responding to her, she wanted to do this for years. It’s finally happening. She pushes two fingers inside Nico who audibly gasps and wraps her arms around her and pulls Karolina down kissing her neck.

 

“- Add another one… “

 

Karolina obeys her lover, wait, that’s what they are? She wants them to be, lovers and so much more, there will be a lot to talk about, but later. For now, she begins to thrust her fingers in and out of Nico. Karolina’s fingers are amazing, a little longer than hers, calluses on places she doesn’t have. Karrie is inside her, she can barely believe it.

 

“- I want to taste you” Karolina says between kisses, Nico only manages a frantic Nod in response no words can come out of her right now.

 

Karolina takes her hand out of Nico and licks two of them, she makes sure Nico sees her doing it.

 

“- Oh my god, Karrie!”

 

“- You taste really good” Karolina gives another quick kiss to Nico and reposition herself between her legs. “- And you’re so beautiful”

 

Karolina kisses Nico’s thighs taking her sweet time, she wants to enjoy this, furthermore, she wants Nico to enjoy it.

 

Nico is about to faint out of pure bliss, Karolina, her Karrie, the woman she wants to spend the rest of her life with (yes, she’s aware she’s only 19 but fuck it) is about to eat her out, the mere thought of it is almost enough to set her on fire. “- God, Karrie…” Nico gently grabs Karolina’s hair, she loves to this when Karolina is in her true form, you see, Majesdane hair doesn’t really feel like hair, it’s more like water, except it’s not wet, it’s weird and alluring and beautiful, just like Karrie.

 

Karolina leans in and kisses Nico’s entrance, making her tongue enter Nico slightly. Karolina is loving this, she hooks Nico’s legs with her arms and begins sucking on her clit. Nico moans and arches her body in a spasm, thrusting her hips towards Karolina’s mouth. Karolina, in turn, enters Nico again, curling her fingers upwards searching for that sweet spot.

 

“- Oh, my fucking god! Karrie!!”  It’s only been a few minutes and yet she’s so close.

 

Karolina takes notice on what’s happening to Nico, she can tell she’s close, it’s not exactly hard to tell between the gasps, the moaning and the shudders. She wants to see this up close. Karolina positions herself on eye level with Nico, keeping her hand inside her rubbing Nico’s inner walls and clit.

 

Nico wraps her legs around Karolina’s waist and her arms around her shoulders, she’s almost there, so close, just a few more moments, she shuts her ayes close, she wants this to last.

 

“- No, open them” Karolina commands her.

 

“- What?...” It’s a miracle Nico can utter a word.

 

“- Your eyes, open them, I want to see them when you cum”

 

It’s with a herculean effort that Nico manages to open her eyes, she almost cum at the sight before her. Karolina is making eye contact, smiling at her, for a moment she only focuses on Karolina’s eyes until a skilled thumb rubs her clit. The pressure in her lower abdomen is becoming unbearable but this is her version of heaven, Nico doesn’t want this to end.

 

“- It’s okay baby, relax, let go, cum for me, I got you” Karolina says soothingly, is a stark contrast, the sweetness and tender of her words and the frantic, rough movements of her hand ravaging Nico.

 

“- K… Karrie… I…” Nico can’t hold it anymore.

 

“- Yes baby, you’re about to cum, I know you want to, just let go, that’s it, cum”

 

“- I… I’m… cu…” Her orgasm hits Nico harder than any other she ever had, her body arches and she opens her mouth in a silent scream, she can only gasp at the intensity of the moment letting herself feel, she keeps eye contact with Karolina the whole time, the adoring look she gives her is enough make Nico fall in love all over again.

 

Nico relaxes into the bed but Karolina is still thrusting her finger inside her, not rough as before, the pace is a lot slower. It feels good and lets Nico ride her orgasm smoothly. Karolina reclines next to Nico, finally stopping.

 

“- I love you” Nico says with a smile that would not abandon her face for days, she caresses Karolina’s face, keeping her closer.

 

“- I love you too” Karolina finally pulls her hand out of Nico, her fingers soaked. She gets them close to Nico’s face. “- Taste them” she commands laying her head down Nico’s shoulder. Nico licks her fingers clean, tasting her own arousal.

 

“- It’s your turn” Nico says.

 

“- Oh, you don’t have to”

 

“- But I want to, I want to make you feel good”

 

Karolina is halfway there, it wouldn’t be long, and she wants this day to never end. “- Okay, yeah”

 

“- Lay on your back, baby” Nico tells her.

 

Karolina complies and Nico leans in to kiss her, she intended to start slow and sweet and up the intensity gradually. But neither her, nor Karolina, has the patience for that, in a matter of seconds the kiss reaches new levels. This is completely new for Nico, this is what kissing Karolina really feels like, without shame, without angst (without Julie) just the certainty of love and lust.

 

Nico takes her hand in between Karrie’s legs. “- Whoa, you are soaked, Karrie”

 

“- Because of you, you made this” Karolina whispers in her ear.

 

Nico begins to mimic Karolina’s movements from moments before, after all, the best Nico does, is improvise. She enters Karrie and is marveled at how good it feels, she’s not sure if it is because Karolina is an alien and has a different anatomy or what, maybe it’s because for once in her life, Nico is with the girl she loves.

 

“- Don’t tease me Nico” Karolina grabs Nico’s hair and pulls her for a kiss.

 

Nico speeds up thrusting her finger inside Karolina, but she takes Nico’s hand stopping her for a moment. “- I like when you rub my clit, just curl your fingers up” Karolina instructs.

“- Shit, I’m sorry, I…” Nico feels embarrassed, she should have asked first.

 

“- You’re doing amazing, babe, don’t worry” Karolina reassures her.

 

It takes them a little while but they find their rhythm. It’s indelicate and lustful and exactly what they needed.

 

“- Nico! I’m about to cum… just keep going” Nico rubs at her clit just right. “- Fuck!... Fuck!!!” Nico is pleased to find out that Karolina is very vocal having sex.

 

Karolina is at her prettiest when she cums, bright rainbow light floods the room, you can even feel the light emanating from her body, it’s warm and soothing like sunshine.

 

“- You’re gorgeous, Karrie, so gorgeous” Nico licks her fingers that seconds before were inside Karolina and moans loudly “- Hmmm, and you taste so good” Nico leans for a final kiss, Karolina tastes like sex and sweat and Nico swears nothing in her life has tasted as sweet.

 

The collapse into the bed, exhausted, and fall into each other arms, Nico rests her head on Karolina’s shoulder and throws a leg over hers. They fit like this, like it’s their normal place around each other. For a long time they don’t say anything, the just bask in the moment.

 

“- Where do we go from here, Karrie?”

 

Karolina barely thinks it for a moment, she has wanted this for so long. “- I’m all or nothing Nico, I want to be your girlfriend, and I want the guys to know, I don’t want to hide”

 

“- Yes! Perfect, I want that too, I want to be your girlfriend” Nico kisses Karolina cheek as confirmation. Karrie looks down at her with a loving smile. “- Uhmm, I guess I should go, it’s against the rules to have visitors past 8:00, right?”

 

“- Fuck that, stay with me, I want to sleep with you”

 

Nico's heart soars, she doesn't want to go anywhere, she want's to stay with her girlfriend, and cuddle, and sleep together and spoon her... well, shit, Karrie has made her an insufferable sap “- Me too, but what about your roommate?”

 

“- Oh don’t worry, I’ll let her know and she can sleep somewhere else, Steph owes me a few times like this”

 

“- Okay, uhmm, I’ll stay, sure”

 

Karolina sits on the bed and holds Nico’s hand. “- You want something to sleep on?” She offers.

 

“- No” Nico winks at her at lets herself fall back into the bed completely naked.

 

Karolina thinks this is going to be a fun night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my fucking god!!!!!
> 
> Hope you liked the chapter! *wink* It was super fun but intimidating to write this.
> 
> I have a confession to make, I didn't wrote the sex scene, a friend of mine did it, that's why this chapter took so long, but I think she delivered big time, my only contribution at the scene was the part when Nico tells Karolina to take off her bracelet, I think it was neat.
> 
> BTW Did you guys read Runaways #9? It was so good! I was right it was a doombot, but not any doombot, THE Doombot!!!! I love Doombot, he's my son!
> 
> And Julie! Man, I love her but she's kind of fucked. I can't wait 'till the next issue!


	10. From here onwards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Karolina are finally together... now what? What next is on the path of our favorite couple?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys! Chapter 10 is here, I'm really excited about this one because... nothing happens! It's just a day in the lives of Karolina and Nico now that they're official, it's fluff galore! See the end notes for an important announcement!

Nico Minoru can sleep a lot, but not without interruption. She wakes at odd hours in the middle of the night and it takes time for her to go back to sleep. When she’s lucky it’s only because of her messed-up sleep pattern and her body is used to wake up; when she’s not, it’s because a night terror or some nightmare.

 

 This time, what woke Nico up, was little bit of both. Her first night with Karolina as a couple was amazing, passionate sex with the girl of her dreams followed by cuddling (so much cuddling) the rest of the night was spent on soft touches, light kisses and loving smiles. Happiness, what life should be filled with. With Karolina spooning her, an arm and a leg thrown over Nico to hold her tightly (and maybe with the intention of grab a boob, Karrie really liked her piercings) Nico went to sleep completely relaxed for the first time in months, and that was the problem.

 

She was too relaxed, her mind blank, falling in a dreamless sleep. Maybe it was the quiet in the room or the sensation of falling asleep without a worry in the world, whatever the case, her body reacted like she was passing out or something. She wakes up suddenly with a jolt and gasp.

 

Nico doesn’t move, she just lays in the bed hoping that she hasn’t waken Karolina up. That’s ultimately what calmed her down. She was safe, with Karrie, comfortably tucked into bed. Then she starts to notice a soft glow coming from under the sheets. That happened once before, on a particularly bad night, one where she was stressed out of her mind, she was just back to L.A., and was rejected for a job for the thousand time and she went to bed with an empty stomach, not being able to afford even some noodles for dinner. That time her powers flared out, casting light and even levitating without the need to have her staff. It took a while to keep her powers under control. She lifts the sheet beginning to worry that she’ll need to leave only to find the source of the glow: Karolina.

 

Karolina was still spooning her and, without the suppressor bracelet, glowing softly. It is a calming sensation and helps Nico relax. 

 

“- Mphmmm, bad dream?” Karolina says in a drowsy voice while holding Nico closer. So, she was awake. Nico feels a pang of regret and shame, she didn’t want to bother her girlfriend.

 

“- No, nothing like that, sometimes I just wake up, I have a messed-up sleep pattern.” She doesn’t want to lie, Nico will talk about it with Karolina, but not just yet.

 

“- Okay, we’ll have to work on that” Karolina readjusts the sheets and plants a kiss on Nico’s shoulder “- You okay?”

 

“- Sure, lets back to sleep”

 

To her own astonishment, Nico does exactly that, easily. When she wakes up again is already morning and there is something incredibly wrong. Karolina is not with her, she immediately misses the contact of Karrie’s body against hers. After a couple of seconds, she hears the door of the bathroom open.

 

“- Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up” Karolina steps out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, fresh out of the shower. She had put on her bracelet already, her hair was still wet, her long legs in full display, Nico couldn’t peel her eyes off of her even if she wanted to.

 

Nico sits on the bed rubbing the sleep off her eyes. She doesn’t bother to cover herself, she feels completely comfortable being naked in front of Karolina. Perhaps too comfortable, she can’t help but smile when she notices her girlfriend blushing. “- It’s okay, I needed to get up, what time is it anyway?”

 

Karolina walks to her desk and checks her phone, it gives her the chance to stop staring at Nico and keep embarrassing herself. “- 7:30, do you have things to do today?” She keeps rummaging through her desk still trying to not stare at Nico like a creep, which is futile, Nico gets up from the bed and stretches, then, much to Karolina’s dismay, she walks towards her.

 

“- Just a couple interviews for crappy jobs that most likely will turned me down” When Nico reaches Karolina she wraps her arms around her waist from behind and rest her head on Karolina’s shoulder.

 

“- Do you have time for breakfast? My treat.” Karolina says.

 

“- Sure” Nico places a long, hot kiss on Karolina’s shoulder, enjoying how she can make her girlfriend shudder.

 

“- Keep doing that and we won’t catch breakfast”

 

Nico plants another kiss, this time on Karrie’s neck, lingering for a moment, biting skin lightly. It’s like a shock of electricity coursing through her body. Karolina grasps the end of the desks in an attempt to ground herself.

 

“- You’re right, I should get ready” Nico steps away from Karolina and picks some of her clothes, Karolina is about to whimper, the loss of contact with Nico is almost painful. “- Can I borrow a shirt?” Nico already put on her underwear and pants but her torso is still bare, she’s having way too much fun teasing Karolina.

 

“- Of course” Karolina says and hastily goes to her wardrobe. She knows Nico is just messing with her, making her blush and stutter, it’s only fair for her to mess with Nico too. She founds the perfect way to do it buried deep in a pile of clothes. “- Hey, Nico?”

 

“- Yeah?”

 

“- I only have these two clean” Karolina says handing two completely different shirts to Nico, one is an oversized rainbow shirt that Karolina wore on a pride once, the kind of thing a drunk crunch hippie (like she was at the time)  would wear, the catch is, there’s a huge ass My little Pony unicorn plastered in the front; the other one is an old shirt of The Cure, Nico would be caught dead first before admitting that, when she began her goth aesthetic, she thought The Cure was the quintessential goth goal, rookie mistake.

 

“- Uhmmm… do you have something else?”  Nico pleads with Karolina.

 

“- I’m sorry” Karolina says. “- I swear is all I have” In reality, she has four more outfits that she’s sure Nico would love.  “- I was gonna do laundry yesterday but, you know, got distracted” and then, just for good measure, she pouts.

 

Karolina is not playing fair, how in the world would Nico say no when a pout is involved, she is useless against it. So, Nico chooses the lesser of two evils. She takes the My Little Pony shirt. Nico’s biggest fear is that, when she arrives at the Hostel, her whole family would be there. Coincidentally, that is Karolina’s biggest wish.

 

Karolina is not done, far from it, when Nico dons the shirt (Karolina thinks that’s the most adorable sight she has ever seen) she removes her towel, exposing herself completely to Nico, who is about to literally drool.  Karolina grabs some fresh underwear and a sports bra and dress herself in the outfit she picked up before taking a shower. “- So, about that breakfast” she says and hooks her arm with Nico’s, exiting the room and heading to a dinner near campus.

 

-

 

Again, life is weird, only when they arrive at the dinner it dawns on Karolina that this is the same place where she dropped the bomb to Julie, that happened only a few days ago and it already feels like a lifetime. Yes, life is weird.

 

A waitress takes their order and they make idle chat while waiting for their food. After the firs cup of coffee and a few bites of her vegan waffles, Karolina is ready to talk.

 

“- So…” Karolina begins.

 

“- So?” Nico shoves some of her eggs and shews slowly waiting for Karolina to continue.

 

“- I’m your girlfriend” Karolina states and looks nervously at Nico.

 

“- You are, what…”

 

“- I wanna tell the rest of the gang, today” Karolina cuts Nico short.

 

“- Great, I really want them to know” Nico smiles at the thought taking Karolina’s hand.

The new couple finish breakfast soon after that and part ways, Karolina to classes, Nico to get ready for her interviews with the promise to get together in the evening. When Nico arrives at the Hostel, still wearing the My Little Pony shirt, she enters carefully, trying to sneak to her room without being noticed. Her efforts, however, are futile because as soon as she steps into the living room she encounters a very amused Victor watching something on the TV in her brand new weird, creepy body. He can’t take his eyes from Nico’s shirt.

 

“- Not a word, Victor!” Nico says effectively shutting him off and runs to her room.

 

Once in her room, Nico takes a moment to grab her phone and text Karolina, letting her know she got home safely, then, after a shower, she spends the best part of an hour getting ready for her interviews, picking out her outfit, a long black dress with sleeves and parted in the middle, and a tuxedo collar, black shaded stockings and black faith shoes; she fixies her makeup and ties her hair in a tight bun, damn, Nico thinks she should work in a fashion agency or something. She steps out of her room and finds Victor still in the living room.

 

“- Hey, Vic?” Nico calls him.

 

“- Yeah?” Victor keeps his eyes glued to the TV, on a rerun of an old show he likes, Nico can’t recall the name of it.

 

“- I’ll be out for a while, if you guys need anything, just call me, alright?”

 

“- Will do”

 

Nico exits the house and heads to the nearest street, she pulls out her phone and calls for a Lyft, she also notices a text from Karolina that reads:

 

“Best of luck today, babe. See you at home”

 

It’s the little things, you know.  Karrie said home. She has a home now. And a family. And Karrie. Why on earth did she ever think of leaving?

 

-

 

Several hours later Nico returns home feeling defeated, her spirits rise when she sees Karolina’s car in the Hostel garage. When she enters, the scene before her warms her heart. Molly and Karolina are sitting side by side on the dining table, each with a stack of books, doing homework, Gert, Chase and Victor are sitting in the living room playing cards chatting amicably, while Old Lace and Rufus are curled up near them.

 

“- I’ve done it!” Nico announces stepping inside the room. “- I got a job”

 

“- Is it the one you wanted at the boutique?” Karolina asks her excitedly.

 

“- No, it’s in a grocery store that make their employees wear Hawaiian shirts” Nico places a box in the dining table next to Molly “- My store makes good cupcakes though, so, celebratory cupcake everyone?” She says, they all steps closer to the table and reach for a cupcake and there’s a choir of thanks for the treats.

 

“- Hey, babe” Nico says to Karolina and follows it with a quick peck on her lips. The rooms fall silent immediately. “- Why is everyone looking at me?” Nico asks.

 

“- I hadn’t told them yet” Karolina answers, smiling shyly “- I was waiting for you to come home”

 

Everyone is looking at Karolina and Nico with varying degrees of excitement, from the “No shit Sherlock” type of Gert and Victor to the “fuck yeah!” of Chase and Molly.

 

Nico takes Karolina’s hand and interlaces their fingers together. “- Oh!, so yeah, we’re together now”.

 

If the mood in the room was lifted by a box of cupcakes, with this it erupts into a cacophony of excited shouts and congratulations.

 

“- It was about time” “- I knew it from the start” “- You guys look so happy!” “Freaking Wiccan owes me twenty bucks” “Old Lace ate a possum today!”

 

Chase leaves his cupcake and rush to hug the couple.

 

“- I’m so happy for you two, you deserve it” There’s tears in his eyes and his voice is filled with sincerity, Chase is a good bean, a bit annoying and a goofball, but good.

 

“- Does this mean you’re gonna live here now, Karolina?” Molly asks her between bites of cupcake

 

“- Unfortunately, not” Karolina says. “- It’s still too far from campus, but I’ll be staying over a lot more, tonight in fact” She reassures Molly.

 

“- Well, this really calls for a celebration” Chase says. “- How about a movie? There’s a marathon of Lord of the Rings in the cinema nearby”

 

“- Oh, my parents never let me watch PG 13 movies” Molly says deflated.

 

“- Molls, you’re 13 now” Karolina says.

 

“- Yeah, there’s so many PG 13 movies to watch!” Victor is really excited about it.

 

“- Okay, but the next one will be Jurassic Park” Gert announces “- That’s Old Lace favorite movie”

 

“- That’s worrisome on so many levels” Chase says before they leave for the movies.

 

-

 

After the movie, they all return to the Hostel. It was a great to feel again like a family and being able to relax for once. When they step into their living room the mood is light and they would love to keep the night going, but it’s already late and there are things to do in the morning so they call it a day.

 

Nico and Karolina retire to their room. It’s really Nico’s room, You can tell by the sparsity of it all, the only furniture are the bed and a wardrobe that isn’t even full, half of Nico’s clothes are either still on boxes or in a suitcase. There’s no desk in the room, no posters or pictures on the walls. Nico feels a pang of shame at her living conditions.

 

“- Sorry about the room, I get it’s not exactly welcoming” She offers.

 

“- It’s funny that you mention it” Karolina says, putting down a small travel bag near the bed. “- Chase told me that, if I was gonna visit more often, he could fix one of the bigger room for us”.

 

“- Uh? When did he tell you that?”

 

“- Last week, the night after the fight with the bot, when I found you in the living room ” Karolina’s heart still aches at the memory of Nico hunched over in the corner of the sofa, crying and in pain. “- The morning after, before I left, he was already awake.”

 

“- That sneaky fucker… he never told me that!” Nico says feigning outrage.

 

“- I know! He’s a lot more perceptive than we thought.”

 

Nico sits in the bed and unlace her shoes, Karolina sits beside her and wraps an arm around her leaning her head against Nico’s shoulder.

 

“- I’m worried about them” Nico says.

 

“- Who?” Karolina asks.

 

“- Everyone” Nico says. “- Chase works himself to the bone and avoids being alone all the time, Gert is more closed than ever, not that I blame her, Victor doesn’t really want to have a body again, he barely uses the one Chase salvaged from the Doombot, and Molly… she’s fine for the moment, but she’s a teenager now, everything is bound to change, it won’t be long before she asks us about girls or boys, and she’s  gonna start having her period and she’s gonna need a help, I don’t know if we can provide that for her.”

 

Karolina takes Nico’s hand between hers and stare at her girlfriend with a worried expression. “- What about you?”

 

Nico looks at Karolina with an unreadable look, for a moment her old instincts kick in and she’s about to say “fine” but she knows better that to close up on her girlfriend. “- I’m not okay, Karrie” Nico takes a deep breath before continuing. “- I have a lot of baggage, everyone does I guess, I just… I don’t know, I’ve done a lot of stuff, and I haven’t dealt with it”.

 

“- If you need help, you can count on me” Karolina squeezes Nico’s hand.

 

“- I know, it’s just… part of me is feeling guilty about dragging you into all of this”

 

“- Nico…”

 

“- You were fine, Karrie, you had a normal life, and you go to college, and have friends… I don’t want to burden you with my issues or the issues of everyone else, you’re my girlfriend not my therapist”

 

“- Okay” Karolina faces Nico, her tone is serious enough but there’s still a hint of playfulness in it, it’s a weird mix Karolina can pull off. “- First, I was not fine, I still go to therapy and I’m kind of a loner, before you guys came back into my life, it was pretty much just Julie and Steph, I don’t have any other friends, my life was basically, just school.”

 

Karolina sighs at the thought, she really didn’t have much going on in her life. Just a month earlier her only prospect for the future was graduating college and not much else.

 

“- And second” Karolina continues. “- I love you, you specially, of course, but also Gert and Chase and Victor and Molly and Old Lace even Rufus, you’re my family, never a burden.” She hugs Nico tightly. “- I get that you’re feeling overwhelmed, but you’re not alone. We can deal with this. Together”.

 

Nico places a kiss on Karolina’s cheek and gives her a smile. “- Together” she says.

 

They began their nightly routine, taking of their makeup and Nico’s case, applying a couple of patches underneath her eyes to treat her eyebags. Karolina pulls out a small bag of toiletries and goes to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change.

 

It’s comfortable, Nico thinks, this new normality of hers. She has been stressing out with all the changes in her life and the new responsibilities that come with it, but she’s sure she would never wish to go back.

 

“- Okay, I’m exhausted” Karolina says walking out of the bathroom wearing a simple shirt and some shorts, she removes her suppressor bracelet and leaves it on the top of her bag. “- Let’s go to bed”

 

Nico complies, after changing into her nightgown, she climbs up the bed with Karolina and reclaims what she’s beginning to consider her favorite spot, on Karolina’s side, resting her head on her shoulder and snuggling as close as she can. It’s not long before the couple falls asleep.

 

Nico wakes up in the middle of the night, again. At some point Karolina spooned her and she finds herself engulfed in her girlfriend arms. This time isn’t because of something dramatic like a nightmare or a night terror. This so much mundane. Is just that Nico is worried, about her relationship with Karrie and Karrie herself, about her family and what the days ahead might bring.

 

There is a feeling of dread in the back of her mind telling Nico that this happiness wouldn’t last, that there’s a threat coming her way and she’s woefully unprepared. She stays awake for a while longer, thinking. After several minutes she already has something resembling a plan.

 

Tomorrow will be a big day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet I can tell what you guys are thinking, what is Nico's deal? What is she planning? Well, I can tell you that is something big, and something that will move the story further! 
> 
> I had planned this to be the last chapter, but I fell in love with these characters even more! And I'm so not ready to stop writing them. So, I'm gonna make this a series! a three part series to be exact, that it will be called "Always on the run"
> 
> Next chapter will be the last for Spaces in between, after that, the second part of the series, called "With you at my side", will begin.
> 
> See you guys in a few days for the last chapter!... of the first part of course


	11. Next step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to move on, to improve, to stop running away and start running forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter of the first part is here!
> 
> I'm so sorry for the delay, this chapter is a lot longer that I initially planned but I think is worth it.
> 
> I would have updated yesterday but I finally got the Barnes & Noble edition of The Runaways TPB and man, is great, it has the original pitch Rainbow Rowel wrote for the comic and it gave me a better sense of the characters, so I had to make a few changes on this chapter.
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy!

The blaring of the alarm of her phone is the worst fucking sound in the world, Karolina is sure of it. Never before was she so aware of how irritating it was, particularly because she loves being in bed. That is, she loves being in bed right now, with Nico comfortably wrapped on her arms, snuggled close, tucked in, warm and safe.

 

It’s cruel to have to wake up when one is so happy.  Even more so because Karolina is not the only one affected by the alarm. Nico stirs in Karolina’s arms and grumbles some unintelligible noise, then she takes the covers and pulls them to her head.

 

“- Good morning” Karolina says to the bundle of blankets previously known as Nico.

 

“- Mmrhmph” comes as a response from underneath the blankets.

 

“- C’mon babe, we have to get up” Karolina says, although she doesn’t sound particularly committed to getting up.

 

“- No”

 

Karolina feels Nico curling eve further into the blankets, then, Nico grabs Karolina’s hand and pulls it over her.

 

Karolina is worried that all her morning will be like this. She knows they are going to be together for a long time, if Karolina can have her way, it will be forever, so, the prospect of spend all her mornings battling to get up just because she’s so damn comfortable and the torture to pry herself away from Nico it’s a terrible one. She need better excuses to get out of bed.

 

“- We promised everyone we’ll have breakfast together, and I told Molly I was making blueberry waffles” Karolina pleads again to her girlfriend   giving little pushes to Nico’s back with her free hand.

 

“- No”

 

Karolina sighs, it’s time to bring the big guns. “- Look I’m hungry, let’s just get breakfast and then we can have a bath, together.

 

That does the trick. Nico gets up as fast as she can, which isn’t that fast all things considered, and dons a fresh shirt. “- Okay” Nico says “- But I want some blueberry waffles too”

 

They make their way to the kitchen and find Chase is already up, squeezing oranges for fresh juice and chatting with Victor, who, unsurprisingly, is not using her robot body.

 

“- Seriously man, Return of the King is the best one, end of story, literally” Chase says after slicing another orange.

 

“- You know, I never bought your “dumb jock” act for a second, until now” Victor says. “- Fellowship establishes the whole trilogy”

 

“- I don’t want to interrupt your riveting argument guys, but I’m hungry and we need to make breakfast” Nico says and then cuts helps Chase by cutting another two oranges.

 

“- Alright” Victor says “- Just settle this for us, which movie is better? Fellowship, or Return of the King?”

 

“- Fellowship” “- Return of the king”

 

This is not going to end well.

 

“- C’mon Nico, really? Fellowship is the best one, I’m with Vic on this” Karolina asks her girlfriend. Victor looks so pleased with himself is nauseating.

 

“- Oh, dead wrong, Return of the King is a perfect ending, and, do you know how hard is to get that in a trilogy?” Nico moves to the pantry to retrieve the waffle flour that Karolina always use.

 

“- But it only works because the first part of the trilogy sets a standard in the first place, god, next you’re gonna tell me The Last Jedi is not the best Star Wars movie” Karolina takes the bag of flour from Nico’s hands and begins to pour it into a bowl and adds almond milk and baking powder.

 

Nico doesn’t respond, she just stares at Karolina looking stricken.

 

“- Oh my god, you didn’t like The Last Jedi…” Karolina stops mixing the batter at the realization.

 

“- No, no! I liked it a lot” Nico hurries to explain. “- I just think Empire is still better”

 

“- You heathen, why do I love you?” Karolina says feigning to be offended, then, she resumes the mixing of the batter.

 

Nico shrugs and then goes to their coffee machine, fixing a couple of cups for them. “- Beats me, but you do, and you’re pretty much stuck with me so…” She says nonchalantly.

 

“- That I am” Karolina says and goes to hug Nico, placing a kiss on her forehead. Nico giggles at the affection. Karolina loves making Nico giggle.

 

“- Well” Victor says “- Now I know you two are gonna stay together forever, if a nerd argument can’t make you fight, nothing will”

 

Karolina’s heart soars at Victor words, she desperately wants them to be true, she hopes she and Nico will be together forever, and knowing that even her friends see them that way leaves a fuzzy, warm feeling in her.

 

By the time Gert and Molly get down stairs breakfast is pretty much done, fresh orange juice and a pot of coffee, a hefty amount of blueberry waffles, scrambled eggs and slices of cantaloupe.  They all eagerly dig in.

 

“So, what’s everyone doing today?” Nico asks.

 

“- Oh! I forgot, I have soccer practice today, guys. Can someone pick me up a little later today?” Molly tells everyone.

 

“- I got you covered Molls” Karolina says.

 

“- After I get home, I’m gonna start fixing up one of the big rooms for you guys” Chase says pointing at Karolina and Nico “- I could use some help though, mind to pitch in?” He asks Gert.

 

“- Sure, not much for me today” Gert says “- But I need to take Old Lace for a walk in the woods or something, she’s been feeling a bit anxious lately, and Chase, we’re running out of cat food, don’t forget to buy some on your way here”

 

“- How about you Vic?” Nico asks.

 

“- Oh, big day, there’s gonna be a Cantinflas marathon on TV!”

 

“- I swear I don’t get why you like those movies so much” Gert says.

 

“- You just don’t get both the complexity and simplicity of his comedy” Victor argues.

 

Karolina is all smiles and sunshine this morning, she missed her family so much and seeing all together again fill her with joy, she throws a glance at Nico and notice that her girlfriend has a serious, pensive look on her. She leaves it alone for the moment.

 

After breakfast, Gert insist they leave the dishes to her, and so, everyone leaves to their day. Chase takes Molly to school and, after keeping her word on their bath together (and almost getting late, let’s just say things escalated quickly) Karolina gives Nico a ride downtown.

 

Nico falls silent in the car and looks even deeper in thought. Karolina waits until they’re halfway to the city to start talking. “- Is something wrong, babe?” She asks.

 

Nico doesn’t answer.

 

“- Babe” She tries again.

 

“- Uh?” Nico finally acknowledges her.

 

“- Is something wrong?”

 

“- What? No, no…” Nico trails off again.

 

“- Is it what Victor said, about us?” Karolina is starting to tremble, what if Nico doesn’t see a future with her? What If Karolina expected too much of this relationship?

 

“- About us?” Nico asks her, she looks truly confused.

 

“- About being together… forever…” Karolina dreads the answer Nico could give. Maybe it’s not so bad, maybe Nico just wants to take things slower. She can deal with that, yes, that must be it, it’s not like Nico doesn’t’ love her, right? Right?

 

“- Oh! No, Karrie!” Nico says. “- It’s not that I swear, I would love to be with you forever” Nico catches up on her own words “- I mean, I have thought about it… I mean, if you would like that… It would be cool, I guess” Sometimes it seems like a miracle that Nico has girlfriend at all.

 

“- I would like that” Karolina responds with the sweetest smile Nico has ever seen.

 

“- Cool, cool”

 

“- Then what is it?” Karolina asks again.

 

“- What is what?”

 

“- You told me that what Victor said it’s not what’s wrong, but something is, so, what is it?”

 

“- Mmph, you promise you won’t get mad?” Nico prods cautiously, the subject she wants to touch is a delicate one.

 

“- I promise, I mean, I didn’t get mad when you backpedaled at the prospect of spending the rest of our lives together” Karolina says, shrugging.

 

“- Karrie…”

 

“- I’m just messing with you” Karolina laughs “- C’mon, what is it? for real”

 

“- Well, the thing is… I think… Julie was kind of right… about all of us…”

 

“- What? Do... you want to move to New York?” Karolina didn’t see this one coming, she’s not mad, just flabbergasted. She thinks for a moment, and decides that she’ll follow Nico to hell and back, so, as long as they’re together, living in New York doesn’t sound so bad, it’s just that she doesn’t like cold weather, and living close to Julie would be awkward as fuck, but she can do it.

 

“- No, not that, but she’s right we need help” Nico sighs “- I was thinking, and there’s no way we can keep living as we do, we simply don’t have the resources”

 

“- You do know I’m rich, right?” Karolina says “- I can easily support all of you for the foreseeable future”

 

“- If we were normal people you would be right, but we’re not” Nico responds “- Think about it, even the cost of Old Lace’s food is too much, and what about vet bills for her, we can’t take her to a normal vet. And then there’s Gert”

 

Karolina nods, she gets it now. Gert is still legally dead; no normal lawyer would take her case.

 

“- And Molly, man, she’s a power full mutant, there’s no way to tell what she’s gonna need now that puberty hit her and suppose Vic wants a new body, how in the world do we get a synthetic body? and… I could use some help too, Karrie” Karolina’s heart aches with Nico’s confession.

 

Nico is right, Karolina is living example of someone needing unusual services, her therapist specializes in mutants, aliens and other members of the post human community.

 

“- And you want to do, what?” Karolina asks, still sceptic “- Get conscripted in exchange of help?”

 

“- Not like that” Nico smiles at her reassuringly “- I think there’s another option” Nico spends the rest of the ride filling Karolina with her plan.

 

-

 

After a particularly boring and awful first day at work, Nico calls for a family meeting and waits until everyone is back home and in the living room. Karolina is seating next to her in a sofa, it hits her that, from this moment on, they are the mom friends of the group.

 

“- Okay, Nico, what’s this all about?” Gert asks when the rest of them arrives to the living room.

 

“- Right, I’m not gonna sugar coat it, we need help. There is a bunch of stuff none of us have any idea how to deal with, from the proper care of a Deinonychus to legal stuff to synthetic body rebuilding” Nico starts. “- We can’t do this alone”

 

“- What are you saying?” Victor asks.

 

“- I think we should join the Avengers Initiative”

 

“- What!?” “- No way I’m going back to that” “- You sold us out!” “- Does this mean we would have to move?”

 

“- Guys, please” Nico raises her hands trying to calm the mood a little. It works, who would have thought? “- I’m not talking about putting some ridiculous tights and fight crime or something, I think we should register as a crisis response team”

 

“- What the fuck is that?” Gert asks again.

 

“- Crisis response are mixed teams of super power people and vigilantes that help people in case of civilian crises” Karolina explains “- They take care of things like crowd control, support to the local fire department, search and rescue and yes, some crime fighting is involved. It’s not so different from the regular civilian teams, only on a bigger scale. Many teams and solo heroes are registered like that, The Defenders, Cloak and Dagger, some X-teams and kids of the Jean Grey School, even Spider-Man”

 

“- The important part is” Nico continues “- by registering we become entitled to support from the Initiative, medical insurance, legal counsel, some limited access to equipment, basic training, that sort of things” Nico stops and gives the rest of them some time to process.

 

“- No, nope, fuck that!” Gert gets up and starts gesticulating heatedly “- I don’t need that shit, that’s precisely what we wanted to avoid all along, and now you want to go and play G.I.?!”

 

“- Gert, it’s not that simple, things have changed…” Nico pleads with her, but she’s cut off short.

 

“- No shit they have! You all have changed, why am I the only one seeing things clearly!?

 

“- Gert, listen, please” Nico says.

 

“- No, you’re gonna listen to me, Nico. You’re putting us in the hands of adults! Have we not had enough of them? You should’ve know better!”

 

“- Gert…” Nico’s plea is barely audible

 

“- Didn’t the fucking adults let you get kidnapped?! They abandoned you! They didn’t even look for you!”

 

“- Gert!!” Karolina doesn’t shout when she’s angry with them, never. In all the years they’ve known her, Karolina have never raised her voice, even when they were arguing bitterly. She can say mean things, she can curse like a sailor, but never shout. And that’s the thing, Karolina is not angry right now, she’s furious.  She shouts and raises from her seat facing directly at Gert, the room falls silent.

 

Gert stops, she can see the hurt in everybody’s faces, particularly in Nico’s… and Chase’s. “- Shit” she says “- I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

 

“- You’re right” Nico says, she’s pale, her voice cracking and there’s tears in her eyes, she bids Karolina to sit down again. “- I was a kid in care of adults when I was kidnapped by a psychopath, and yes, they didn’t look for me, nor for Chase or for a lot other kids that were victims too. But this isn’t about them, it’s about us.” She takes a pause to compose herself, this is the first time Nico talks openly about Murderworld “- This is about finally taking care of our future”

 

“- I want to get help, Gert” Gert turns around and sees that Chase is on the verge of tears.

 

Gert lowers her gaze and sits back down.

 

“- Look, guys, I haven’t contacted anyone yet, I want to know what will get you on board, I want this to be on our own terms” Nico says.

 

“- No adults get to live with us and if I want out later I want to be able to” Gert says.

 

“- I don’t want to be forced to do anything I don’t want, that’s my only condition” Victor says.

 

“- Molly?” Nico asks

 

“- I don’t want to leave California, I like it here”

 

“- Chase?” Nico turns to him.

 

“- I’m in” he answers.

 

“- Okay” Nico gets up from the sofa and gets everyone attention. A couple of years back she would have relished in the sensation of being a leader to their friends, now it weighs on her the responsibility of the wellbeing of her family. It’s hard to grow up. “- Then let’s get to work”

 

-

 

The piece of hardware in Chase’s hands it sure isn’t any impressive, it’s only a rectangular black metal box the size of an Apple TV with an array of ports in the back and a single “On” button in the front.  It really looks like the latest fad coming out of Cupertino. In reality, it is something far more advanced.

 

“- Are you sure it’s gonna work?” Chase grabs a HDMI cable and plugs it in the back of the device, connecting it to their TV.

 

“- It should, these things are built to work with pretty much every kind of technology and its battery is supposed to last for 5 years at full use” Victor says.

 

They waited until next Friday, partially, because Karolina suggested to take some time to think things through and write down a list of conditions (they didn’t want to call them pleas) for them to join the Initiative. And there was another reason, Karolina knew that their contact with the Avengers, the person they were trying to call, usually stayed home on Fridays.

 

“- How did you get this thing?” Gert asks.

 

“- It came with the boxes Tony Stark sent me with Vic’s stuff. I didn’t pay it much attention though, probably wouldn’t even remembered we have it if Nico hadn’t asked for it”

 

Molly gets close to the device inspecting it closely. “- I’ve never seen one of this, what was is it called again?”

 

“- Portable control center” Nico answers “- Very advanced stuff, heavily encrypted, it allows to enter the Avengers network, it can be plugged into any screen or computer. You can talk with anyone within the network and coordinate any operation with them.  I used to have one but I left it behind”

 

“- And are you sure she’s gonna answer?” Molly asks again.

 

“- Pretty sure, when I visited her she had one in her room, but I never saw her using it” Karolina says.

 

“- Okay, here goes nothing” Nico says and pushes the On button in the front of the control center. Immediately, the device projects a solid light interface, like the one Tony Stark uses in his public presentations, a keyboard and several other nobs and buttons appear out of thin air, the screen of the TV prints out the next message and a calming, female voice, very similar to Siri, repeats it for everyone to hear:

 

“Welcome, please state your identity”

 

Before anyone can utter a word, Nico moves in front of the solid light interface. “- Nico Minoru” She says in a clear voice. The control center prints out another message.

 

“Welcome back miss Minoru, your last log in was 295 days ago, you have 738 messages unread. Do you want to read them now?”

 

Strange, for some reason they didn’t deleted her from the Avengers network. Nico thought than she’ll be forced to use an old passcode for emergencies that Jennifer Walters gave her before leaving the A Team.

 

“- Not right now” Nico says

 

“The configuration of your user needs to be updated, do you want to update your user settings?” The control center asks again.

 

“-Later, I want to make a call” Nico answers. Everyone else watches the scene with a sense of surprise. They have never seen Nico like this, it’s like she’s another person, calm and in command. No wonder she was their leader before.

 

“Certainty miss Minoru, who do you want to call”

 

“- Julie Power” Nico says.

 

“Calling Julie Power, A.K.A. Lightspeed. Base of operations: New York” The control center says out loud, the screen prints out a picture of Julie and a little icon of phone dialing.

 

Nico throws a glance back and see everyone back in the room. Time to act like a leader again.

 

“- Hey, guys, come closer to the control center, it has a camera integrated and I want her to see us all” They follow her lead and steps closer. Even Old Lace and Rufus take the hint.

 

Julie doesn’t respond for another two full minutes, Nico is beginning to think Julie is not at home and begins to think on who else to call when the screen finally shows a live feed of a very confused looking Julie Power staring straight at them.

 

“-Oh!, hi guys, sorry for not answering, but when I saw I had a call from Nico I thought this was a security issue, I didn’t know you had an PCC.”

 

“- It’s okay, Julie, it’s Vic’s actually, sorry to bother you but, do you have a moment to talk?” Nico says.

 

“- Sure, what do you need?” It’s amazing how gracious Julie is behaving, her visit to the Runaways was a disaster for her and yet here she is, willing to listen to them.  Julie deserves the world and Karolina hopes with all her heart that Julie can get over her quickly.

 

“- We want to join the Avengers Initiative program and we want to know if you can give us some directions, we don’t really have a direct contact to the Initiative leadership” Nico says.

 

“- Oh, wow, okay, I didn’t think you would move here… I mean, not even going for the Foundation… but, yeah, I can talk to some people and send you some material for the recruitment, but, are you sure about this? Joining the Avengers is not exactly a walk in the park, there are try outs and tests and screenings…”

 

“- It’s okay Julie, we’re just thinking in registering as a crisis response team based in L.A.” Karolina tells her ex.

 

Julie looks at them for a moment and nods in agreement. “- Yeah, that makes a lot of sense” Julie’s eyes spark with excitement at the thought “- That’s great! There’s a lot of good you could do for your community, I’m very proud of you!”

 

“- Thank you, Julie, so, will you help us out?” Nico asks her

 

“- Of course! I can talk to headquarters and they can send a representative to L.A. to talk…”

 

The conversation gets interrupted when a flashing message appears in the corner of the screen

 

“Incoming transmission, please wait…”

 

Everyone stops talking, Julie can see the message too and she’s about to say something when the screen splits in two.

 

“- Shit” Nico says under her breath.

 

“- I never thought I would hear from you again, Nico” Captain Carol Susan Jane Danvers, is on the other side of the screen, if she was any other person she would look normal, even harmless, dressed as a civilian in a plain white t shirt and with her hair down hanging loose down to her shoulders sitting casually in front to what appears to be her dinner, but no matter how regular she looks, the intensity in Captain Marvel’s blue eyes, her dominative demeanor and commanding voice makes her exude power.

 

Nico squares her shoulders, lifts her chin up and steels her gaze.”- Captain” She acknowledges her.

 

In typical Captain Marvel fashion, she wastes no time and goes straight to the point. “- I’m sorry to interrupt, but the system alert me when you signed up into the network” She looks anything but sorry “- Hello everyone, I don’t think we have met, I’m Carol” She says cracking a smile. In an instant, Captain Danvers’s tone and body language readjust, appearing friendly and approachable. Nico always hated her ability to switch like that.

 

There’s a chorus of hellos and all Runaways introduce themselves. Molly takes a little extra time being star struck by the presence of a real Super Hero.

 

“- Well, seems like I’m not really needed, so I’m just gonna go” Julie says already reaching for the button (solid light button that is) to end the call.

 

“- Please, Julie, I want you to stay, I might need your input on this” Captain Marvel says.

 

“- Okay” There’s no argue with Carol Danvers.

 

“So, I was monitoring your conversation, and, you want to register as a crisis response team?”  The Captain asks the runaways.

 

“- Yes” Nico answers.

 

“- Why?” Carol demands.

 

Nico knows she doesn’t gain anything by lying, she had a whole speech for Julie but that plan went out the window the second Carol Danvers appeared.

 

“- We need help, there are a lot of situations that are over our heads and we could use some of the initiative resources. We are willing to register and help in any way we can, we prepared a document that…”

 

“- Stop right there” Captain Marvel interjects “- So this is all about a transaction, you give us something and we give you something in return” Carol shakes her head in disapprovingly “- You haven’t change a bit, Nico. It’s always about what you can get, you never think…”

 

“- This is about doing whatever is necessary to take care of my family” This time is Nico who is interrupting. Everyone looks shocked at Nico’s reaction, it’s one thing to hold your ground against Captain Marvel and another one entirely to talk over her.

 

Surprisingly, the woman capable of face Thanos, and win, keeps herself quiet for a few seconds, there’s a hint of something in Carol’s eyes, like the ghost of a smile, then she turns to Julie. “- Julie, you’ve been with them recently, what do you think of this?”

 

Julie takes a moment to choose her words. “- They all mean well, Captain, they lack experience and is true that they need help but their heart is in the right place. Maybe you could, at least, consider their proposal?”

 

Captain Marvel considers it for a moment, then addresses Nico again. “- Alright, send your proposal, Nico, I’ll present it to the team and I’ll contact you once we decide anything, does that work for you?”

 

“- Yes, thank you, Captain”

 

“- And, Nico” Captain Marvel says “- Despite everything, I’m glad to see you’re okay” Carol flashes a smile that takes all the edge of her appearance away, it’s easy to forget that she is barely in her thirties and has a life of her own, that she does more than fly around saving the world on a weekly basis, she logs off after that.

 

Julie still looks shocked after the interaction with Captain Marvel “- Okay, that was… something” Julie says “- I really hope you guys make it into the Initiative, look, I gotta got, but uhm… K, could I speak to you in private?” She asks.

 

“- Sure” Karolina says, and everyone goes to the kitchen to give them some privacy, Julie doesn’t miss the look Nico gives Karolina before leaving them alone.

 

“- So, you look good” Julie says, feeling awkward.

 

“- You too” Karolina replies.

 

“- I was thinking… if you guys are accepted, maybe we could talk sometime?”

 

“- Julie…”

 

“- Look, I know, it’s just… I miss you” Julie confesses

 

Karolina feels like shit, she did break the heart of an amazing girl. She’s so happy with Nico and wouldn’t go back of course, but she still wants to comfort Julie in some way. “- Maybe” She says. “- But promise me you’re gonna take some time to yourself first”

 

“- Is that what you’ve been doing?” Julie asks.

 

This is the perfect moment to tell Julie she’s dating Nico, to do the right thing and not lead Julie any further. Karolina doesn’t. “- Mostly, I just focus a lot on school and spend time with my family”

 

“- Okay, yeah, I guess you’re right, anyway, I have things to do. Take care K, and give the guys my regards” Julie waves at Karolina and logs off.

 

When the video feed cuts off Nico approaches the control center and turns it off, she turns to hug Karrie who has an unreadable expression.

 

“- You okay? Nico says still hugging Karrie.

 

Karolina hugs her back and rest her cheek on Nico’s head “- Yeah, I just hope Julie gets over me quickly”

 

“- I don’t see how anyone could do that” Nico means it as a joke but it rubs Karolina in all the wrong ways possible.

 

Karolina breaks the hug and changes the subject as fast as she can “- You were impressive by the way” She says giving her girlfriend a proud looking smile.

 

“- Uh?”

 

“- With Captain Marvel, you stood your ground, that was hot!” Karolina leans down making sure her lips graze lightly at Nico’s ear “- Maybe you could do something like that later, to me”

 

Nico shivers, it was a stressful day and could use some time to relax, and after Karolina’s suggestion, she wants nothing more but ravage her girlfriend right there on the spot.

 

Too bad the rest of her family were there too.

 

“- Damn, Nico! That was awesome! Are you secretly cool?” Chase says stepping into the living room.

 

“- And what’s the deal with Captain Marvel? Did you spit in her coffee or something?” Gert asks.

 

“- We kind of fought once” Nico wants to drop the subject but everyone else has a different idea.

 

“- What the hell did you do?” “- How bad did you lose?” “- You bled over her shirt and that’s why she’s mad, right?” “- Can you even fight?”

 

“- Okay, guys, really, it wasn’t a big deal” Nico tells them “- She wanted to arrest me for something I didn’t do, she blasted me a couple times, I zapped her back, no big deal”

 

“- Tell us over diner?” Karolina offers.

 

“- Sure”

 

-

 

A couple of days later the Runaways still hasn’t heard from Captain Marvel again. Karolina is beginning to worry they were rejected, she’s in the library doing homework when a message from an unknown number appears on her phone.

 

“Runaways, please be advised, your presence is required with Avengers leadership. A remote conference will be available with your Control Center at 5 p.m. PT today”

 

She exists the library and Immediately calls Nico, her girlfriend answers at the first ring.

 

“- Hey, babe”

 

“- Did you check your texts?” Karolina asks.

 

“- Oh, that, yeah, I guess they reached an agreement”

 

“- But this is good, right? I mean, they wouldn’t bother to call us just to tells us off”

 

“- I honestly don’t know, but we’ll find out” Nico says “- Could you call the rest of the guys? I’m on my way home, I need to make some preparations.

 

“- Yeah, no problem, is something wrong?”

“- Not at all, I just want to make a good impression, so, see you home?”

 

“- Okay, see you there then”

 

“- Karrie? I love you”

 

“- I love you too” Karolina hangs up feeling already nervous. She calls everyone and they agree to be at home as soon as possible.

 

When Karolina gets home, with half an hour to spare she sees what Nico meant with “preparations”. The Hostel is spotless, particularly the living room. The Control center and the TV were moved to a corner of the room, the TV is built-in to the wall, the control center is placed on a podium. Karolina notices both the TV and the podium are new. Nico herself is standing in front of it, the control center already on and she seems working on something with it.

 

Karolina leaves her bag on the couch and approaches what she assumes is their new control room. She’s impressed on what Nico did with the place, Nico is wearing some simple form fitting black pants and her black laced up boots, a white shirt with peter pan collar and sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a thin black tie complete her outfit. Karolina notices the Staff of One is propped up on the wall next to Nico.

 

“- Hey” Karolina says.

 

“- Hi” Nico turns and smiles at her, then resumes her work on the control center.

 

“- This place looks good, you’re taking this very serious”

 

“- Well, even if they turn us down, I want them to know we’re serious”

 

“- I have to ask, babe, did you conjure up all this?” Karolina asks

 

“- Uh?”

 

Karolina points to the TV and the podium. Nico smiles at her “- No, babe, I bought it”

 

“- And the Staff is for…?”

 

“- For show” Nico answers “- It adds to the seriousness”

 

“- Clever” Karolina is rediscovering a side of Nico that she hadn’t seen in a long time, the side that made her a leader, an Avenger, it suits Nico and Karolina loves it. “- Is everyone home yet?”

 

“- Yeah, Gert, Molly and Vic are in their rooms, Chase is changing upstairs, he gave Old Lace and Rufus a bath, you know how that goes”

Karolina and Nico decide to make some time chatting in the living room trying to ease the tension they didn’t they had. When the clock closes to 5 p.m. the rest of the Runaways come to what Molly dubbed “the control corner” the nickname sticks in no time.

 

It’s finally time and everyone come close to the control center wearing their best clothes, in the case of Vic, he’s using the robot body he and Chase salvaged. Nico stands in the front of the screen grabbing the Staff of One, for show, as she said, but also to ground herself, and waits.

 

At precisely 5 p.m. the screen flashes a message.

 

“Incoming transmission, please wait”

 

“- Hello everyone” Carol Danvers is again at the other side of the screen, this time in full uniform.

 

The Runaways say hello and wait for Captain Marvel to continue. “- Well, luck is on your side, Nico and Victor’s names still carries a lot of weight, your proposal seems acceptable but we have a couple of conditions of our own and I want some clarifications”

 

“- Of course, Captain” Nico says.

 

“- First, your request for autonomy is accepted, no officer will be placed with you, but if you want to enter the initiative you will be appointed an sponsor and report to them once a week.”

 

“- That’s fine, Captain, who can we choose for a sponsor?” Nico asks, so far so good.

 

“- You don’t get to choose, I will be your sponsor and you’ll report directly to me” That is way beyond what Nico could tolerate, but if it means her family will be protected, so be it.

 

“- Alright, what else?”

 

“- Your request for additional financial resources is denied, you have to support yourselves”

 

“- That’s not a problem” Karolina rushes to say.

 

“- Many of us are concerned about your inexperience and lack of training. You want in? You’ll have to train. There are some facilities near L.A. for that, you’ll have to cover the basic field training, all of you”

 

Nico glances back at her friends, everyone nods slightly. “- We can do that”

 

“- We noticed miss Dean and miss Hayes are the only two of you that are currently in school, that is unacceptable.  You all have to, at least, finish high school, we can provide tutors and home schooling if you want, but this is not negotiable” The tone of Captain Marvels leaves no room for debate. Nico turns to Chase, Gert and Vic, she’s worried about Gert if she says no, this whole situation goes down the drain.

 

“- Fine” Gert says and Nico lets out a breath she was holding for a long time.

 

“- Lastly, neither miss Hayes nor miss Yorkes would engage in any form of combat until they turn eighteen, again, this is not negotiable”

 

Damn, Nico knows Molly was really hyped to be a hero again, but she thinks this is for the better.

 

“- They will stay out of it” Nico limits to say.

 

“- And, Nico” Carol Danvers addresses directly, her eyes and tone of voice soften in a way Nico has never seen, this is new. “- I couldn’t protect you before, I won’t fail you again, just, please, keep everyone safe”

 

Nico never thought anyone outside Karolina, Molly or Victor cared what happened to her and Chase in Murderworld. To hear the raw feeling of defeat in the mighty Captain Marvel is shocking, it almost brings her to tears, she swallows hard and square up. “- I will, Captain”

 

“- Alright then” Carol smiles at them and you can see the pride in her eyes. “- Runaways, welcome to the Avengers”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this fic is complete!!!
> 
> Well, the first part, at least. It feels so good to complete a project, I hope you guys liked it and stick around for the sequel! "With you at my side" will begin shortly.
> 
> There's a few clarifications, on this chapter. If you're asking which movie I think is better, Fellowship or return of the king? I think you can's see those movies apart, for me is a big movie divided in three parts.
> 
> Also, I do think The Last Jedi is the best one of the series, point goes to Karolina.
> 
> I'm sorry to spoil this for you, but I hope you notice some things:
> 
> The Runaways joined to the Avengers initiative for the worst reason, to gain something, and this is a foreshadowing.
> 
> I didn't want that Nico would be defined by her pain, that's why when Gert calls her out, Nico says she's doing this for her family, I wanted to give her a more powerful motivation.
> 
> On the other hand, I did want Chase to be a lot more vulnerable, I think he's the one who didn't process what happened in Murderworld. This is also foreshadowing.
> 
> Anyway, see you guys soon!


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